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REV. MOTHER M. XAVIER WARDE 




Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde. 



REVEREND MOTHER 

M. XAVIER WARDE 

Foundress of the Order of Mercy in the 
United States 

THE STORY OF HER LIFE 

WITH BRIEF SKETCHES OF HER FOUNDATIONS 

By 
THE SISTERS OF MERCY 

Mount St. Mary's, Manchester, 
New Hampshire 

PREFACE BY THE 

RT. REV. DENIS M. BRADLEY, D.D. 



BOSTON 

MARLIER AND COMPANY, LIMITED 

1902 



THI 

CQftG^ESS, 

HOPVOJOUT PNTOV 

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CHAR* 0/ XXc No. 

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Copyright, IQ02 

By Mount St. Mary's Convent of the Sisters of 

Mercy, Manchester, N.H. 



All rights reserved 



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TO 

MARY 

MOTHER OF MERCY 

THE TRUE IDEAL OF CHRISTIAN WOMANHOOD 

WE DEDICATE THIS VOLUME 



PREFACE 

My Dear Rev. Mother: 

I AM pleased to learn that the Sisters have 
prepared for publication the " Life of Rev. 
Mother Francis Xavier Warde. ,, I desire to 
congratulate and thank the community for this 
new and important addition to the biographical 
literature of the early builders of God's Church 
in the United States. It is well and proper that 
Reverend Mother Xavier' s life should be made 
known to the public by a member of that com- 
munity last established by her personally, — a 
community in which she spent the greater por- 
tion of her American-religious life ; a community 
guided and governed by her for so many years; 
a community imbibing, and, we hope, holding 
from her, the original spirit of the first Sisters of 
Mercy; and a community in the midst of whose 
departed members she rests to await with them 
the Resurrection. 

This is a timely book. From it the young 
women of our day and country will learn that 



viii Preface 

the sure way of living in the minds and hearts 
of future generations is to use the gifts given 
by God in the upbuilding of His kingdom among 
men. From it they will likewise learn that " he 
that hateth his life in this world keepeth it unto 
life eternal/' and " that every one that hath left 
house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or 
mother, or wife, or children, or lands for His 
name's sake shall receive an hundred- fold, and 
shall possess life everlasting." In it they will 
see a young woman of refined education and 
ample means abandoning all that these could 
legitimately give, and associating herself in the 
bonds of " Poverty, Chastity, and Obedience, 
and the care of the poor, sick, and ignorant," 
with that God-sent woman, Catherine McAuley, 
the Foundress of the Sisters of Mercy. They 
will see this same young woman severing the 
yet few links that bound her to relatives, Sisters 
in religion, and country, and undergoing all 
the hardships of Atlantic travel in those days, 
and becoming in her turn a Foundress, — 
Foundress, namely, of the Sisters of Mercy in 
the United States. A glorious privilege! Be- 
hold, how many thousands of her daughters 
rise up in every portion of this great land and 



Preface ix 

call her blessed ! They will learn from this vol- 
ume that the difficulties incident to travel, and 
poverty among peoples of distant and sparsely- 
settled villages, and towns, and hamlets were 
no obstacle to her ardent zeal in the establish- 
ment, in the various parts of the country, of con- 
vents, schools, orphanages, hospitals, and of the 
doing of all the works prescribed and allowed 
by the rules and constitutions of the Sisters of 
Mercy. From this volume they will see, and, 
we trust, will imbibe that spirit of active union 
with God which characterized, if I may so speak, 
her settled life in our own Manchester. 

We thank God for having sent her to us after 
her years of laborious wanderings, to be the 
foundress of religious life in the city and diocese 
of Manchester. 

It is a pleasurable privilege to give our hearty 
approval of this Life of Reverend Mother Xavier. 

In this connection I may be permitted a 
word personal. She it was who prepared me 
for the reception of the Sacrament of Confir- 
mation. She had charge of the class of instruc- 
tion in Christian doctrine which I attended in 
my younger days. During my time at the Col- 
lege and Seminary she was always the earnest, 



x Preface 

active, and helpful friend. In time, in God's 
providence, matters were so determined that I 
became her ecclesiastical Superior, and then, 
because of our relations, did I notice, in a strik- 
ing manner, that which must arrest the attention 
of the reader of her life, namely, her esteem for 
the ecclesiastical state, and her reverence and 
respect for authority. The Sisters of the com- 
munity who were associated with her will bear 
witness that these lessons were inculcated by her 
in season and out of season. It was my privi- 
lege to witness the holy death of this Christian- 
soldierly woman, to say a last word at her ob- 
sequies, to offer the last prayer of Holy Church 
at her grave, and to consign her body to mother 
earth, in the midst of her daughters who had 
preceded her in death, there " to wait for the 
Saviour, Our Lord Jesus Christ," whom she 
served so long and so well. 

Yours sincerely in Christ, 

^ DENIS M. BRADLEY. 

Bishop of Manchester 
Feast of St. Joseph, 1902. 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER I. 

THE CHILDHOOD AND YOUTH OF FRANCES WARDE. 

Pack 

Her birth. — Early loss of her mother. — Her father's 

trials. — His death. — Her early training. — She 
receives her first Holy Communion and is con- 
firmed. — She enters society. — Meets Mother 
McAuley I 

CHAPTER II. 

EARLY DAYS AT BAGGOT STREET. 

The rising Institute. — Labors of mercy. — The new 
chapel. — Devotion to the sacred heart of Jesus. 
— Formation of the Congregation of the Sisters of 
Mercy 20 

CHAPTER III. 

CHOLERA OF 1832. ESTABLISHING THE INSTITUTE 
IN CARLOW. 

Death of Sister M. Elizabeth Harley. — Work among 
the cholera patients. — Sister M. Francis Xavier 
pronounces her vows. — Her labors in Carlow. — 
Death of Bishop Nolan 40 



xii Contents 



CHAPTER IV. 

FOUNDATIONS FROM CARLOW. DEATH OF THE 
FOUNDRESS. 

Page 
Foundation of the order at Naas. — The spirit of char- 
ity and zeal. — Wexford. — Mother McAuley's 
sickness and death 59 

CHAPTER V. 

TRIBUTES TO THE MEMORY OF THE FOUNDRESS. WESTPORT. 

Mother McAuley's grave. — Tributes to her virtues 
and good works. — Summary of the works of mercy 
at the time of her death. — The Sisters of Mercy 
at Westport 75 

CHAPTER VI. 

FOUNDATION OF THE ORDER IN THE UNITED 
STATES. 

Bishop O'Connor negotiates at Carlow for Sisters of 
Mercy. — The foundation undertaken. — Onboard 
the Queen of the West. — On American shores. 
— First retreat in Pittsburg. — Works of mercy . 88 

CHAPTER VII. 

- EARLY DAYS IN PITTSBURG. 

The first American Sister of Mercy. — First ceremo- 
nies of reception and profession. — Mother Warde's 
attention to the acquirement of solid piety . . . 101 



Contents xiii 

CHAPTER VIII. 

ESTABLISHMENT OF SCHOOLS. 

Pagb 

First schools in Pittsburg. — Enumeration of studies. 

— Attention given to formation of character. — 
Visiting the prisoners 108 

CHAPTER IX. 

BISHOP O'CONNOR AND THE INSTITUTE. 

Death of Sister Philomena. — St. Xavier's Academy. 

— Glimpses of Bishop O'Connor's character. — 
The orphanage and hospital 119 

CHAPTER X. 

FOUNDATION OF THE ORDER IN CHICAGO. 

Establishing the house in Chicago. — Practice of the 
smaller virtues. — Mother Warded journey from 
Chicago to Pittsburg 133 

CHAPTER XI. 

"THE APOSTLE OF THE ALLEGHANIES." LORETTO. 

Foundation of the order in Prince Gallitzin's domain. — 
Maxims for religious teachers. — Bishop O'Connor 
becomes a Jesuit 153 

CHAPTER XII. 

EARLY DAYS IN PROVIDENCE. 

Establishing the first convent in Providence. — Diffi- 
culties experienced. — The parent house of New 
England. — Extension of education. — Father Mc- 
Elroy's Retreat. — Newport 163 



xiv Contents 

CHAPTER XIII. 

PROGRESS OF THE INSTITUTE IN NEW ENGLAND. 

Pagb 

Fostering the religious spirit. — Establishing a convent 
at Rochester. — Hartford and New Haven. — 
"Mother Angela.' ' — Negotiations for a founda- 
tion in Manchester. — Sister Camillus Byrne . . 181 

CHAPTER XIV. 

IN THE "GRANITE STATE." 

Foundation of the order in Manchester. — Night 
schools and instruction classes. — The free schools 
and Mount St. Mary's Academy. — Harriet Stanley 
Dix 201 

CHAPTER XV. 

MOTHER WARDE'S LABORS IN MANCHESTER. 

The Sisters undertake the education of boys. — Older 
pupils become soldiers. — Holy poverty and labor. 

— Foundations and extensions of works of mercy. 

— Death of Bishop Bacon 220 

CHAPTER XVI. 

LAST YEARS OF ACTIVE SERVICE. 

Death of Mother Pauline of Hartford. — The Indian 
missions in Maine. — Death of Mother Josephine 
Warde. — Fifty years a professed religious . . . 243 



Contents xv 



CHAPTER XVII. 

FAILING HEALTH AND DEATH. 

Page 

A separate parent house at Portland. — August retreat 

of 1883. — A branch house at Dover. — Consecra- 
tion of the first Bishop of Manchester. — Mother 
Warde's death. — Her last resting-place. — Her 
spirit cherished in her community 266 



ILLUSTRATIONS 



Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde Frontispiece 



Rev. Mother Mary Catherine McAuley . Fac\ 

Convent of Mercy, Baggot Street, Dublin . • 

The Rt. Rev. Bishop O'Connor ..... 

The Rt. Rev. Bernard O'Reilly, D.D. . . . 

St. Francis Xavier's Academy, Broad Street, 
Providence 



The Rev. Fr. McDonald 

Mount St. Mary's Academy, Manchester . 

The Rt. Rev. Bishop Bacon 

The Rt. Rev. Denis M. Bradley, D.D. . 



•ngpage 36 
80 
90 
164 

174 

202 
218 
240 
272 



The Story of the Life of 
Rev. Mother 

M. XAVIER WARDE 

Chapter I. 

THE CHILDHOOD AND YOUTH OF 
FRANCES WARDE. 

FRANCES WARDE was born at Mount- 
rath, Queen's County, Ireland. Amid the 
charming freshness of greensward and hedge- 
rows, rippling streams and nooks of shrubbery, 
surrounding Belbrook House, her baby eyes 
opened in one of the most delightful spots in 
the dear old " Isle of Saints and Scholars/' 
The time of her birth was about the year 1810, 
when the penal laws and the " Rebellion of '98 " 
had left the sad traces of their unhallowed rav- 
ages on the prosperity and happiness of the Irish 
people. 

The infant soul of Frances must have imbibed 
the beauty of her environment with every res™ 



2 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

piration of her young life; for, as a child, as 
a young woman, and as a religious, she was 
an intense lover of the beautiful in this world, 
and an ardent craver for the infinite beauty of 
Heaven. 

The loftiness of purpose manifested in the life 
of this extraordinary woman, together with the 
retired state she chose in consecrating herself to 
God in an Order whose spirit breathes the lowli- 
ness of prayer and contemplation, combined with 
the humble service of the poor, sick, and ignorant, 
accord us not the privilege of commenting on the 
nobility of her birth, or the distinction of her 
ancestry. " Religion is God's democracy/' is a 
truism oft quoted, and wisely, by every dispenser 
of the Sacred Word and master of the spiritual 
life. This religious principle is the true leveller 
of caste and race, of fortune and fame, since 
the days when the meek and loving Jesus of 
Nazareth trod this earth, sweetly solacing the 
weary and sorrowful of heart, whether sought 
for by the princely ruler Jairus, or by the lowly 
widow of Nairn; whether moved to pity by the 
blind beggar on the wayside, or compassionately 
raising from the dead the brother of the grief- 
stricken Martha and Mary. In the heavenly bal- 



Childhood and Youth 3 

ance, advantages of wealth and pride of family 
weigh light against honest purpose and holiness 
of life. 

A broad and all-pervading love of God is the 
great key-note of all nobility, true worth, and 
happiness in this world. Charity has conceived 
and brought forth all the grand ideals, all the 
goodness, all the heroism on the face of the 
earth. It imparts magnanimity to the character 
and beauty to the soul, while it gives dignity 
and worth to the lowliest deed. It constitutes 
a man a hero in the service of his country, or a 
saint in the service of God. The following sen- 
tence from a spiritual writer expresses very 
concisely what we seek to convey : " Sanctity 
is the love of God and man carried to a sublime 
extravagance." This is a true pen picture of 
the character of the whole-souled woman we 
are about to describe, whose life was one long 
act of love for God and devotion to the welfare 
of mankind. Hence she belonged to the gener- 
ation of the righteous, the only lineage by which 
we shall be known on the great Accounting Day. 

Frances was the youngest of a family of five 
children which blessed the marriage of John 
Warde and Jane Maher. Mrs. Warde died 



4 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

shortly after the birth of her little daughter. 
Thus, this child, destined for great things in the 
mind of God, was called upon through the tender 
period of childhood and the confiding years of 
girlhood to make the sacrifice of a mother's care 
and a mother's love, — a privation which brings 
its bitter pangs to the latest day of the longest 
life. 

John Warde was absent from home when his 
wife died. It is said that on his return he yielded 
to such excessive grief as to endanger his health. 
Although he lived for several years afterward, 
he was never again the same vigorous man that 
he had been before this great sorrow. Mr. 
Warde's second son, studying at Maynooth, was 
taken dangerously ill when near his ordination, 
and died on the day selected for him to be raised 
to the holy priesthood. 

Helen, a sweet girl in her eighteenth year, 
her father's favorite, and the flower of this inter- 
esting family, died soon after her brother, leaving 
Mr. Warde a broken-hearted man. To add to 
his trials, Belbrook House, the pride of his an- 
cestors for many generations, passed into the 
hands of strangers. It came about in this way: 
A nobleman, whose estate adjoined that of Mr. 



Childhood and Youth 5 

Warde' s, coveted the location for a college, which 
some Englishmen wished to open on this beauti- 
ful site. John Warde belonged to that class of 
Irish gentlemen, sturdy and honorable, who 
follow their consciences in political matters, 
come what may. 

Heretofore his firmness in adhering to prin- 
ciple had been respected, and no attempt was ever 
made to meddle with his comfortable incumbency. 
Now his interests clashed with those of Lord 
de Vesci, who found in politics a ready pretext 
to seize on the leases of Belbrook House. 

John Warde was a virtuous man, well trained 
to suffer with Christian fortitude the adverse 
circumstances of life. How frequently are such 
circumstances ordained by a wise Providence 
for the uplifting and purification of human souls ! 
As certain seeds yield their fragrance only when 
crushed, so noble souls give forth their sweet 
odor of virtue when bruised by the Hand of God. 
As the petals of a flower lie warped and confined 
in the bud' until God's rain and sunshine cause 
them to expand, so many souls keep their best 
qualities hidden and unknown till God visits 
them with the chastening influence of adversity, 
and then, to the surprise and edification of all, 



6 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

they suddenly blossom forth in splendid examples 
of heroic virtue. 

After these trying events, Mr. Warde found 
a suitable avocation in Dublin, where he won 
universal respect as a scholar and a gentleman 
during the short time which intervened until God 
called him to his reward. Being invited to dine 
with the poet Moore and other celebrated friends 
at Monasterevan, he complied, but shortly after 
dinner was taken seriously ill with a malady 
from which he never rallied. 

A kind, maternal aunt, who took charge of the 
household affairs after Mrs. Warde's death, con- 
tinued her benevolent task until the subject of 
our sketch had merged into womanhood. 

Some of the senior Sisters in " St. Marie's 
of the Isle " 1 tell us of Mr. Warde as he 
looked in a " likeness " taken in 1798. They 
describe him as a tall, well-built man, with 
fair complexion, and soft blue eyes, the expres- 
sion on his countenance meek and calm, yet 
showing a decisiveness about the mouth not to 
be misunderstood. 



1 A convent in Cork, founded by Mother McAuley, and placed 
by her in charge of Mother Josephine, Sarah Warde, when 
Mother Clare Moore was sent to found a convent in London. 



Childhood and Youth 7 

Frances received her education from private 
tutors, but it was supervised in a great measure 
by her sister Sarah. Her aunt reserved to her- 
self the responsibility of the child's religious 
instruction. This estimable lady arranged her 
methods of teaching Christian Doctrine with the 
devotional ingenuity of a Fenelon. Many hours 
did she spend in telling sweet, soul-stirring 
stories to our little girl seated at her knee. These 
stories, simple in kind, but full of the eternal 
truths of religion, awakened an intense love of 
God in the pure heart of the child, who, " like 
clay in the hands of the potter," at this tender 
age was ready to receive impressions which 
moulded her into the heavenly lines character- 
istic of her after life. 

To this early training we can trace the deep 
faith, the trustful love, and the holy fear of God 
which filled the innocent soul of Frances Warde. 
For knowledge of God begets His love in the 
soul, and from love is born His holy fear, as 
Father Faber neatly puts it in his well-known 
hymn : — 

" They love Thee little, if at all, 
Who do not fear Thee much ; 
If Love is Thy attraction, Lord, 
Fear is Thy very touch." 



8 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

Frances took no interest in mathematics or the 
philosophical branches of study, but showed a 
decided taste for the finer accomplishments. She 
delighted in English and literature, grasping 
each beauty of thought with a quickness of per- 
ception far beyond her years. This accounts 
for her ability to write those delightful letters, 
teeming with natural vivacity of sentiment and 
adorned with that charming simplicity of style 
for which her correspondence was remarkable. 
Sarah Warde was a high-spirited girl, and her 
mathematical turn of mind often led her into 
disagreement with the artistic tastes of Frances. 
On one occasion we find her placing under lock 
and key a volume of Milton in which Frances 
was deeply interested, determined thereby to 
force her younger sister to use some effort in 
trying to master a slight intricacy in algebraic 
equations. Frances, however, was not to be con- 
quered by this ruse. She seized the algebra found 
on her desk in place of the poems, ran to her 
sister and expostulated : " I can understand full 
well that x and y equals x + y; I know, too, 
that x taken from x + y leaves y; and, sister 
mine, I can go farther, and multiply x by y to 
produce xy; but to dive deeper into the results 



Childhood and Youth 9 

of quantities expressed by letters and signs is 
time lost for me. Why spend hours reasoning 
out dry questions in * Goff ' or i Euclid/ when 
reading some stanza from my classics pictures 
clearly in my mind the beautiful and true 
in all God's works on earth, with delightful 
glimpses of the infinite loveliness of Heaven ? " 
Sarah was won by the precocity shown in her 
youthful sister's inferences, and henceforth left 
her free to follow her favorite tastes in study. 
Like St. Teresa, Frances early saw the unspeak- 
able beauty of Heaven mirrored in the sublime 
in nature and art. No wonder, then, that even 
her childish aspirations soared far beyond the 
fleeting attractiveness of earth, to the only true 
and lasting beauty. 

The house in which Frances spent the greater 
portion of her childhood was located near a 
winding stream between two elevations of 
ground. The ruins of an ancient castle stood 
close by, on the edge of the stream, hedged in by 
shrubbery of, perhaps, many centuries' growth 
and decay. In a sort of crypt behind the eastern 
wall, Frances had arranged, when quite young, 
an altar, with a picture of Our Lord blessing 
little children for a central figure, and a print 



io Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

of Our Blessed Lady and the " Guardian Angel" 
on either side. When needed, her aunt was 
never at a loss to find the little girl, and she was 
never known to disobey or delay when called. 
Leaving her little shrine, she would appear rosy 
and beaming at Miss Maher's side, ready to run 
on any errand for her kind relative. Her brother 
John was grown almost to manhood before this 
little sister emerged from babyhood; yet he was 
her constant companion in his leisure moments, 
and, on account of her ardent, affectionate dis- 
position, loved her more than all the world 
beside. Her fondness for fun and amusement, 
and her bright, lively traits of character, accom- 
panied by a natural horror of anything that 
seemed wrong, made her the idol of the house- 
hold. John and Frances oft repaired at sunset 
hour to her little altar in the castle crypt. Here 
the grown-up brother would repeat with the 
child some simple prayer, or select pretty sayings 
from "St. Teresa," a small and well-worn volume 
found among her mother's favorite books. As 
the twilight settled down on hilltop and glen, 
brother and sister might be seen returning, hand 
in hand, to the house, the bright little mind of 
Frances busy pondering over St. Teresa's beauti- 



Childhood and Youth 1 1 

ful portrayals of the sweetness of God's love. 
Once in the house, the child was soon preparing 
for bed, for in " ye olden times " the " children's 
hour " ended with evening's twilight. On rising 
each morning, and before retiring each evening, 
we are told she was wont to kneel at her aunt's 
knee to recite aloud the Lord's Prayer and Hail 
Mary, the Apostles' Creed and Confiteor, and a 
simple prayer composed by the worthy Miss 
Maher for the use of her cherished sister's or- 
phaned child. As nearly as we can remember 
from hearing it once dictated, the words ran 
thus : " O my good God, be merciful to my father 
and mother; Lord, pardon their sins, grant 
them the light of Heaven. Jesus, Mary, and 
Joseph watch over me through life, and may I 
die in your blessed' company. Angel of God, 
my guardian dear, guide, bless, and protect me. 
Amen." 

Then came a short conference between the child 
and her aunt pertaining to God and Heaven. It 
was during these communings that the wonderful 
light of the Spirit of Holiness first appeared in 
the pure soul of the little one. 

Mother Josephine used to tell a story of 
Frances, when very young, going to bed with- 



12 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

out having said some prayers which she was in 
the habit of saying every evening. During the 
night she awoke in a terrible fright, and aroused 
her sister, imploring her to keep awake while 
she knelt by the bedside and said the forgotten 
prayers. 

The happiness of the pious little Frances knew 
no bounds when she was told to prepare to receive 
Our Lord for the first time. She had been care- 
fully instructed, and, although younger than the 
average age for first communicants, she fully 
realized the great purity of heart necessary for 
the worthy reception of the Holy Eucharist. 
Therefore, such prayerfulness, and such sincere 
sorrow for the smallest fault as this earnest child 
evinced, would seem to mark her out, in the 
designs of God, for some special purpose. She 
received Confirmation from the celebrated Bishop 
Doyle, an Irish prelate of great ability, saintly 
in character, and vigilant and powerful in word 
and work for the spread of the Kingdom of 
Christ among men. Long years after the death 
of this great Bishop, we find Frances Warde 
establishing the Order of Mercy in the diocese 
over which, in life, he presided. 

Many stories are told of our little candidate 






Childhood and Youth 13 

for Confirmation. This one we relate, as told by 
a dear old gentleman with snow-white hair, and 
a kind, honest face which always beamed with 
delight as he spoke of his mother being present 
in the church when Frances Warde was con- 
firmed. As was the custom, the Bishop examined 
the class in Christian Doctrine in the presence of 
the assembled congregation. When he ques- 
tioned Frances, her answers were so intelligent, 
so expressive of spiritual depth of understanding 
far beyond her years, that His Lordship placed 
the little girl on the sanctuary step before the 
people gathered in the church, saying, " This 
child is destined by God for some great work 
in His service." 

Yet, withal, we find in her the frank simplicity 
of the child, — a trait so captivating in little ones 
that we would fain wish them always to remain 
the sweet, guileless enchanters who so warm our 
hearts, and make us forget that the world ever 
lost its first innocence in the garden of Paradise. 
When asked by the Bishop why she took Teresa 
for her confirmation name, she replied, " Because, 
my lord, I think it is a very pretty name." She 
was deeply impressed by her First Holy Com- 
munion and the Sacrament of Confirmation. 



14 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

From this time we date her earnestness in win- 
ning souls to God. Her love of the poor began 
to manifest itself in the gay little girl who would 
trip away to the homes of the poor old women 
and hungry-faced children, well burdened with 
a store of delicacies which she was wont to coax 
from her worthy aunt, after her own pretty 
fashion. Before leaving the cabins, she would 
gather the children around her, catechise and 
instruct them on religious truths, and recite to 
them verses of Scripture and stanzas of sacred 
song as a reward for a well-learned lesson in 
their catechism. During all her girlhood years, 
the merry laugh of Frances could be heard in 
garden, field, or schoolroom, wherever she hap- 
pened to be for the time. Her gay disposition 
dispelled every cloud, and yet, as she grew in 
years, her relatives noticed a certain pensiveness 
in her manner, — a marked seriousness in her 
character which they could not reconcile with 
her natural fun-loving propensities. Mayhap, 
already had the Gospel words " Quid prodest " 
commenced to whisper in her heart, as a prelude 
to the aspirations which would fill her soul in 
the years to come, when the Divine Lover would 
take her by the hand, and guide her footsteps 



Childhood and Youth 15 

from the " beaten track " to the higher and more 
perfect life. 

Many years after the family had left Mount- 
rath, and had taken up their residence in Dublin, 
Frances, now well advanced to womanhood, 
began to go into society, where her fascinating 
personality and superior qualities of heart and 
mind brought her much notice. She was carried 
away by her desire to please, and soon the allure- 
ments of fashion, with the attendant vanities, 
held the once guileless, unsuspecting maiden in 
firmest bonds. Visits, parties, and other amuse- 
ments were her delight. As it was not in her 
nature to do anything by halves, she threw her 
whole energy into these rounds of enjoyment, 
sparing no pains to excel in the art of pleasing. 
This sprightly eagerness of disposition added to 
her attractiveness, and made her the ruling spirit 
wherever she happened to be. It would be hard 
to imagine a more charming type of womanhood 
than the description given of Frances Warde at 
this period of her life. Tall, well proportioned, 
with a dignity of bearing that characterized her 
to her latest day, she could have graced a court, 
or added dignity to the poorest cottage. The 
expression of her face bespoke the strong ten- 



1 6 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

dencies of her character. Her forehead was high 
and commanding; her eyes were deep set, and 
of the soft, uncommon shade of blue that seems 
to reflect the radiant beauty of the soul within. 
Often did they twinkle with merriment, as 
she surprised the dejected into a lively sally 
of wit, or when, with sweet playfulness, she 
smoothed over some disagreeable occurrence. 
Those w T ho knew her intimately say her charac- 
ter was a strong combination of candor and 
common sense, offset with sweetness and firm- 
ness. Apart from her genuine sincerity, perhaps, 
her two most lovable qualities were her delight- 
ful simplicity of manner, together with a depth 
of feeling which she sometimes found it difficult 
to conceal. With her friends she was true 
through every vicissitude, her great heart ever 
ready to make little account of natural defects 
where sincere good-will was evident. 

Any demand on her sympathy was tenderly 
met with heartfelt kindness. She had the capac- 
ity for strong affection, but detested anything 
like deceit or self-interest. In all that concerned 
herself she was reserved to a fault, but true 
devotedness to others was hers by excellence. 

At this time the vanities of the world were not 



Childhood and Youth 17 

at all distasteful to her; but God, who plans in 
secret His own designs on souls, was watching 
over this gifted girl. Events were transpiring, 
and troubles were arising in her soul, which 
would bring her to see by the light of faith the 
Divine Eyes pleading and the Divine Voice call- 
ing. With all her fascination for society, Frances 
never gave up the pious custom of approaching 
the sacraments regularly. As she turned her 
eyes upon her innermost soul, she recoiled from 
the consciousness of her neglect in doing what 
was required of her in order to please God per- 
fectly. Her firm principles of faith stirred up the 
old ardor of God's love, and there came into her 
heart a holy fear that she had offended the true 
Lover of souls by her coldness toward Him in 
her moments of infatuation with the world. 

If we do not take the time and pains .to fathom 
our inclinations and the depth of their intensity, 
the soul must suffer, for without reflection we 
can go on almost unconsciously, forgetting the 
good God, Who has done all things for us, and 
Who yearns for our love in return. With 
Frances Warde the fight was going on within, 
while the world called her with all the subtleness 
of its enticements. The usual time of approach- 



1 8 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

ing the sacraments came about. She stopped to 
prepare; she reflected. Was she wasting time? 
Was she giving to pleasure the best part of a life 
that could be employed in the sphere of duty? 

It was after one of these deliberations that she 
made known to her confessor, Dr. Armstrong, 
the parish priest of St. Michael's Church, Ann 
Street, Dublin, her trouble of mind regarding 
the disposal of her time. In confiding to him the 
fact that she did as she pleased, spending her 
days in useless gayety, she disclosed the defective 
point in her mode of life, which rendered inactive 
the great wells of goodness in her heart, ready 
to bubble up and overflow in some worthy cause, 
at the first bidding. Father Armstrong explained 
to her the terrible responsibility of wasting the 
precious time given by God for high and holy 
pursuits, in a round of idle pleasures which, 
though trifling, were, nevertheless, offensive to 
the Great Judge of " every idle word that man 
shall speak," and for which He shall ask an 
account on the Day of Judgment. 

Touched by these considerations, Frances 
deeply regretted her ingratitude and insensibility. 
Humbled and penitent she prayed for grace to 
see what God wished her to do. Her heart was 



Childhood and Youth 19 

as pure as the crystal fountains that sparkle in 
the glens of her own native Leinster, while anear 
was the Divine Consoler to help her to overcome 
her inclination toward the fascinating circles of 
pleasure and refinement. In giving her a rule for 
the useful employment of time in doing some 
particular good, Father Armstrong recommended 
her to teach a few hours r each day in the poor 
schools which Catherine McAuley had lately 
opened in Baggot Street. She complied, and 
in this way became acquainted with Miss Mc- 
Auley, whom she admired very much. We are 
told that Catherine became to the young girl as 
the mother she had never known. A holy friend- 
ship grew up between these two gifted women 
which never waned during the lifetime of either. 
Frances never tired of teaching in the schools 
and instructing in the house of Mercy, also 
established by Catherine McAuley a short time 
before, for homeless girls. 



Chapter II. 

EARLY DAYS AT BAGGOT STREET. 

THE intense ardor manifested by Frances 
in her work attracted many other young 
ladies to join those already inspired with the 
charitable enterprise. Elizabeth Harley, one of 
the belles of fashionable society in Dublin, who 
had been much attached to Frances in their days 
of pleasure-seeking, now followed her to the 
feet of the Divine Master, asking that she, too, 
might be permitted to serve Him in the person 
of His helpless little ones. 

Her father was Captain Harley, a man char- 
acterized for his intrepid spirit at the post of duty, 
but loving and yielding in domestic life. When 
his daughter made known to him her intention 
of joining the society of pious ladies at Baggot 
Street, with the courage of the Spartan mother 
of old, made perfect by the Divine Love in his 
heart, which ancient Spartan never knew, he 
exclaimed : " Go, my darling child, enlist in the 



Early Days at Baggot Street 21 

ranks of the King of kings, but be no cowardly 
soldier of the Crucified One. Enter the thick 
of the fight for souls, and, if needs be, die, rather 
than forsake the glorious standard of the Cross." 
It is easy to imagine that the Sister of Mercy 
moulded from the child of such a father was no 
drone in the busy beehive of promoters of God's 
greater honor and glory. 

The schools continued to overflow with chil- 
dren, and, already, the Hand of God was mani- 
fest in the pious project of Catherine McAuley. 
Here we see a band of noble women richly en- 
dowed with the capacity of loving their neigh- 
bor and of spending themselves in the interests 
of their fellow beings. They have been raised 
up by God for a grand task, that of dispensing 
blessings to the down-trodden and forgotten 
ones of His creatures made to His own image 
and likeness, and redeemed by His Precious 
Blood. 

" Man is dear to man : the poorest poor, 
Long for some moments in a weary life, 
When they can know and feel that they have been — 
Themselves the fathers and the dealers-out 
Of some small blessings : have been kind to such 
As needed kindness, for the single cause 
That we have, all of us, one human heart." 



22 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

Behold, how these frail women go forth, with 
that calm, sweet smile upon their countenances, 
— a smile born of fervent love and firm trust in 
the Omnipotent One, Who is the Strength of the 
weak ones of earth, as well as the Upholder of 
mighty nations! 

Will they accomplish the grand object they 
have undertaken ? We leave that to the pages of 
future history to prove. The task they are en- 
gaged in must be blessed by God, since it is the 
one work most dear to the merciful Heart of 
Jesus, Who said : " Suffer little children to come 
unto Me, for of such is the kingdom of Heaven " ; 
and, to the penitent at His feet : " Much is for- 
given thee, because thou hast loved much " ; and 
to the sick and maimed: " Be thou cured " and. 
" made whole." 

In May of 1828 the Institute had progressed 
so rapidly that the Divine impress seemed to rest 
on it; yet the seeds of all great projects must 
be watered by tears. It is God's way. His be- 
ginnings are always small, hidden from the proud 
lovers of worldly glory, thriving only beneath 
the shadow of the Cross. At this time a heavy 
trial came to Catherine McAuley in the death 
of her faithful counsellor and staunch friend, 



Early Days at Baggot Street 23 

the Very Rev. Father Armstrong. It seemed 
that, without his support, her plans must come 
to naught. In his illness he secured the care of 
His Grace, Archbishop Murray, for the rising 
Institute; yet, when making known to Catherine 
that she could rely on the Archbishop for counsel 
and support, he reminded her of the old injunc- 
tion he had emphasized to her so often : " Do 
not put your trust in any human being; place 
all your confidence in God alone! 3 

Father Armstrong's admonitions did not fall 
on barren ground. Those who knew the found- 
ress through all the years she was with her 
newly founded Order, were astounded at her 
singular purity of intention and firm trust in 
God, which no temptation to discouragement 
nor obstacle in carrying out her plans could 
diminish. These virtues were so strongly en- 
grafted in the characters of those who were her 
companions at Baggot Street, that their after 
lives were radiant with uprightness of purpose 
in their every act, and with sweet, childlike 
confidence in God amid the darkest trials. 

As Catherine McAuley and her associates 
went among the poor, their first effort was to 
touch the tender chord of sympathy, alleviating 



24 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

sorrow and discouragement, poverty and suffer- 
ing. True, they often found themselves strait- 
ened for means; and who, coming in contact 
with the deserving poor, does not know how 
painful it is to be unable to do all one would 
desire to relieve their wants and bring joy to 
their hearts! 

Yet, although we may have little of this 
world's goods to share with this best loved 
portion of Christ's flock, we can always speak 
the compassionate word, give the gentle smile 
of encouragement, and pray to the Sacred Heart 
of Jesus, the Source of Infinite Goodness, to 
impart His riches to His own desolate ones. 
" With Me are riches, that I may enrich them 
that love Me." Prov. viii. 18, 21. " He became 
poor for your sake, that through His poverty 
you might be rich (in grace). " 2 Cor. viii. 9. 

On Sept. 24, 1828, the Feast of Our Lady of 
Mercy, His Grace, Archbishop Murray, # gave the 
Institute permission to adopt this beautiful title, 
and be placed under the protection of " Our 
Lady of Mercy." In October of the same year 
Frances Warde took up her abode permanently 
at Baggot Street. 

She set aside her rich garments and comfort- 



Early Days at Baggot Street 25 

able apparel, putting on a black dress of plain 
material, with the lace cap, something similar 
to the outfit worn by postulants in the Order at 
the present time. She was nineteen years of 
age when she entered on this manner of life. 
It was a calling devoid, it is true, of extraor- 
dinary austerities, yet it demanded much self- 
denial and solid virtue in the daily observance of 
Rule, and required devotedness and regularity in 
the spiritual and active duties enjoined. Frances 
had made use of the means pointed out by the 
Church for a step of this kind, namely: time, 
reflection, prayer, and the consent of a prudent 
and holy guide. Now she felt safe in accepting 
the rule of life approved of for the congregation. 
On the 30th of November, 1828, the Arch- 
bishop gave permission to the Sisters, as they 
were now called, to visit the sick. Before this 
time, they confined their visits to cases of pov- 
erty or misery of some form, but excluded illness, 
awaiting the sanction of authority. Catherine 
McAuley began, at once, to instruct her associ- 
ates on the words of the Gospel, which Christ, 
as our Judge, will pronounce on the Last Day. 
" I was hungry and you gave Me to eat ; naked, 
and you clothed Me ; sick and in prison, and you 
visited Me." 



26 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

Frances entered upon this new duty with all 
the enthusiasm of her ardent nature. Each day, 
two of the fervent little band donned their bon- 
nets and cloaks ; took a small, black portmanteau, 
carried on the arm beneath the folds of the cloak, 
and, in the name of the community, went forth 
on their errands of charity. Fully did the first 
visitors of the sick, in the Order of Mercy, realize 
that each step taken and each word spoken in 
the service of His afflicted children is counted 
by the Heavenly Father, Who watches over even 
the birds of the air, and the lilies of the field. 

Ah! how firmly may we persuade ourselves 
as we enter the abodes of the poor, that we are 
oftentimes the companions of a Heavenly visitor, 
the Recording Angel who inscribes in the Book 
of Life each beautiful act of resignation and con- 
formity to God's Will, practised by these patient, 
faithful souls. They may be bound to a bed of 
pain, and possess few of the comforts of life, yet 
we see them radiant with a beam of holy peace 
upon their brow, which the world can never 
" give or take away." With what confidence 
these silent sufferers will stand among the blessed 
on the Day of Judgment, to hear the " well 
done " of the Mighty and Just Judge, while the 



Early Days at Baggot Street 27 

opulent seekers of worldly pleasures will hide 
their faces with shame! 

On the 24th of June, 1829, His Grace, the 
Archbishop, blessed the new chapel on Baggot 
Street. The " altar piece/' a painting of Our 
Blessed Lady with the Infant Jesus in her arms, 
was brought from Rome for that purpose, by 
the Very Rev. Doctor Blake. Rev. Father Burke, 
O. S. F., was appointed chaplain by the Arch- 
bishop. He celebrated the first Mass offered 
within its walls, on June 7 (Pentecost Sunday), 
1829. 

Catherine McAuley had an intense devotion 
to the Sacred Heart of Jesus; therefore, we 
find her establishing the Sodality of the Sacred 
Heart, in the new chapel, a few days after its 
dedication, on the Feast of the Sacred Heart 
of this memorable year. When her Institute was 
formed into a Religious Congregation, and ap- 
proved by the Church, she placed in the Rules 
and Constitutions of the Order the following: 
" They shall also possess a most tender devotion 
to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, fount of every 
grace, and object of our most tender love, and 
concurring with the most pious wishes of the 
Holy Catholic Church, they shall raise their 



28 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

minds and affections to that boundless love 
which the Divine Redeemer has shown for man- 
kind in the institution of the Blessed Eucharist, 
and in His dolorous passion and death, suffered 
for our redemption, and which is daily evinced 
to us by the treasure of graces, and the immense 
benefits which flow from this loving and amiable 
heart. They shall on their part, endeavor to 
atone for the outrages suffered by Him, for 
which the malice and ingratitude of mankind 
make so base a return." 

Here we find the revered foundress imbued 
with a devotion like unto an Alacoque or a Col- 
ombiere. Through her spiritual daughters she 
has spread this beautiful devotion over the whole 
world, for in every land where a Convent of 
Mercy raises its cross-crowned roof to the blue 
sky of Heaven, within its walls, and in that 
vicinity, is the Sacred Heart of Jesus " adored, 
praised, and loved." 

If we are to measure success by the expres- 
sion of popular sentiment, the year 1830 opened 
with a gloomy outlook for the new Institute. 
Many objected to the project, and some went 
so far as to express their objection to His Grace, 
the Archbishop, representing the association as 



Early Days at Baggot Street 29 

uncalled for, and a hindrance to other pious 
establishments. These arguments were framed 
so adroitly and expressed with such apparent 
sincerity, that for the time being, the Arch- 
bishop was really somewhat perplexed. Cath- 
erine McAuley knew all this, but she spoke no 
word of defence. Silently, she recommended 
her cause to God, leaving everything in His All- 
Powerful Hands, while she pondered deeply in 
her heart, with loving confidence, her favorite 
maxim : " And Jesus was silent." 

The Archbishop and Doctor Blake were anx- 
ious to do whatever would prove most conducive 
to the greater honor and glory of God, yet they 
hesitated regarding the advisability of encour- 
aging the Institution of Our Lady of Mercy. 

Thus it sometimes happens that God permits 
the envious to carry out their plans, but He ever 
brings good out of evil in His own time and 
way. In this instance He had permitted the 
complaints and misrepresentations already al- 
luded to, but caused them to contribute in the 
end to the more perfect and permanent estab- 
lishment of the Order of Mercy. After ear- 
nest prayer for light, and deliberate consider- 
ation of the future good to come to the Church 



30 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

from the congregation, the Archbishop and Doc- 
tor Blake, with the willing consent of Catherine 
McAuley and her associates, decided that the 
members of this pious household should become 
religious, bound by vows and Rules. The dif- 
ferent convents were resorted to for copies of 
their Rules, and all responded with the most 
cordial kindness. The Carmelites and Poor 
Clares, especially, showed every mark of sin- 
cere interest, even offering to affiliate the com- 
munity, if the foundress so desired. Mother 
McAuley did take advantage of this kind pro- 
posal some years afterwards, when she had the 
Order of Mercy so affiliated to the Carmelite 
Order, as to enable the Sisters to receive many 
of the indulgences attached to that Order. 

Later the Carmelite Fathers became the Chap- 
lains and Confessors at Baggot Street. Until 
the death of Mother McAuley, when the Arch- 
bishop gave permission for a cemetery in the 
grounds of the Convent, all the departed Sisters 
were laid to rest in the vault of the Carmelite 
Church. From this, we readily understand the 
warm, filial feeling the Sisters of Mercy enter- 
tain for the grand, old " Mother Order " of 
Religious. Here, too, during its infancy, the 



Early Days at Baggot Street 31 

Order of Mercy imbibed from its intercourse 
with the clients of Our Lady of Mt Carmel, the 
contemplative spirit of the seraphic St. Teresa, 
which spiritualizes and sanctifies the active work- 
ings of the Institute. Mother McAuley chose 
the Presentation Rule as best adapted to the 
duties of the rising Order, later this rule revised 
and modified by the foundress, was authorized 
and approved by the Holy See. 

On the 8th of September, 1830, Catherine 
McAuley went to the Presentation Convent at 
George's Hill to commence her novitiate. Sis- 
ter Anna Maria Doyle and Sister Elizabeth 
Harley accompanied her. During the absence of 
the foundress, Frances Warde, by her bright, 
hopeful spirit in the house, and indefatigable 
labors among the poor, kept all the arrangements 
and duties of the Institute in a satisfactory con- 
dition. With her, the pious band of workers, 
courageous and cheerful, were looking forward 
to the happy day in the near future when they 
would enter the religious state of life as the 
first Sisterhood of the Congregation. 

Through every vicissitude of her long and 
useful life, assisted by the grace of God, Frances 
Warde' s vivacity of temperament and earnest 



21 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

zeal gave a strength to her soul that proved 
superior to all obstacles, interior or exterior. 
She ever showed herself the " valiant woman " 
as trying circumstances called forth her talent 
for coping quietly with every emergency. 

Catherine McAuley and her companions were 
warmly welcomed by the Presentation nuns. 
The kind Abbess provided generously for their 
thorough training in the principles of the re- 
ligious life. On the 9th of December, three 
months after their entrance, the three postulants 
were clothed with the religious habit. They 
obtained permission from the Mother Abbess 
to retain their baptismal names with " Mary " 
prefixed. The Mistress of Novices spared no 
humiliation on Catherine, hence she was well 
grounded in humility and self-abnegation. Her 
spirit of interior mortification was so real, that 
her biographer declares she took every reprimand 
and penance with a greater joy fulness than that 
with which worldlings receive honors, because, 
as she herself loved to repeat : " The gate of 
Heaven is low, and there is never any danger 
of stooping too much/' 

Catherine McAuley and Frances Warde, 
though so closely allied in a grand enterprise 



Early Days at Baggot Street 33 

for God's greater glory, were of opposite tem- 
peraments. The foundress was naturally gifted 
with sweetness, evenness of temper, and those 
qualities of heart and mind which we look for 
in one trained in the school of St. Francis de 
Sales. Frances, by nature, was ardent, impet- 
uous, affectionate, full of that fire of spirit which 
writers ascribe to St. Ignatius or St. Francis 
Xavier. Only by dint of constant self-annihi- 
lation and persevering prayer, did she become 
the subdued, foresighted, patient religious, whom 
all love to remember in her later days, as a model 
of the gentler virtues. One great gift both 
possessed in common, and with an intensity 
seldom equalled, — a burning love of God and a 
broad, magnanimous love of the neighbor. 

In June of 1831, while the foundress was 
making her novitiate with the Presentation nuns, 
Sister Caroline Murphy was taken ill at Baggot 
Street, and soon passed beyond hope of recovery. 
She died a holy death on June 28, and was buried 
in the habit of the Third Order of Carmelites, 
in the vault of the Carmelite Church on Clar- 
endon Street, Dublin. 

The number was small for the fulfilment of 
the many duties, causing Frances to redouble 



34 Rev, Mother M. Xavier Warde 

her energy in performing all the labor she could, 
in order that the strength of the more delicate 
members could be economized. In spite of her 
precaution, sickness again crossed their path, 
and before any one realized the seriousness of 
the case, Sister Ann O' Grady's illness was pro- 
nounced fatal. She lingered only six months, 
before going to meet the reward of her fervent 
desire to spend herself in relieving and instruct- 
ing God's little ones. She, too, was laid to rest 
in the Carmelite Church, before the foundress 
returned to Baggot Street. A few days after 
the burial of Sister Ann O' Grady, Sister Mary 
Teresa McAuley, a niece of Mother McAuley, 
became another victim of unrestrained zeal. 
Following the dictates of her youthful ardor, 
she had over-taxed her strength in the perform- 
ance of some duty and burst a blood-vessel. 
Frances Warde and this innocent soul were 
staunch friends, from their constant companion- 
ship and mutual exchange of zealous sympathy 
in the relief of the poor and sick. Now, Frances 
was bowed down with grief, yet rising above 
her natural feelings, she gave no manifestation 
of sadness. Summoning all her courage, she 
placed her hope in the Heavenly Comforter, 



Early Days at Baggot Street 35 

Who has said, " Call upon Me in the day of 
trouble, and I will comfort you." 

She cheered on her devoted Mary Teresa to 
make one grand act of resignation, and become 
an apostle of suffering, since the good God 
willed this peculiar service for her who, hitherto, 
had been such an apostle of works. " The cross 
makes fertile whatever it touches, and Heaven 
accepts no fruits but such as the cross has hal- 
lowed." Mary Teresa McAuley suffered on 
until November, 1833, when she was professed 
on her death bed. She made the third of the 
" Community in Heaven " laid to rest beneath 
the vaulted edifice of Mount Carmel. 

When Catherine McAuley and her compan- 
ions had completed the shortest term of novitiate 
required by the Sacred Canons before pronounc- 
ing religious vows, the final chapter was called 
in the Presentation Convent, to deliberate and 
weigh well before God the matter of Holy 
Profession for the three candidates. After the 
usual recommendation of this important step, 
to the Holy Spirit, the chapter decided that 
the three novices should go into immediate re- 
treat as a final preparation for the taking of 
vows. 



36 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

At the end of an eight days' retreat Sisters 
Mary Catherine, Mary Ann, and Mary Eliza- 
beth made their Profession, with the proviso 
that the rule of life they would henceforth fol- 
low would be in accordance with the perform- 
ance of the duties of a Sister of Mercy. The 
ceremony took place on Dec. 12, 1831, in the 
chapel at George's Hill. 

Before these events had taken place, the Arch- 
bishop had received full power from the Holy 
See to establish Sisters of Mercy as a religious 
body of women among the Orders which, like 
various and beautiful gardens, adorn the Church 
of God. 

After their profession, our trinity of religious 
hastened home to Baggot Street. We can im- 
agine the joy of Frances Warde, the frail little 
Mary Teresa, and the others to have once 
more in their midst the great, motherly heart 
of Catherine McAuley. Tradition has kept 
alive the joy of that day, for in every Con- 
vent of Mercy throughout the world there is 
general recreation on the 12th of December, 
accompanied by a holy joyousness of spirit 
which even the pleasure-seekers of the world 
might envy. 




Rev. Mother Mary Catherine McAuley. 



Early Days at Baggot Street 37 

The day after their return His Grace, Arch- 
bishop Murray, canonically appointed Sister 
Mary Catherine the Mother Superior of the 
new Order. She desired to be addressed as 
" Sister Superior," but the Archbishop con- 
firmed the title " Reverend Mother " as the 
most fitting for the designation of the Superior, 
since her offices in behalf of her subjects are 
similar to those of a mother toward her family. 
The first lecture our foundress gave to her little 
community was from Rodriguez, on St. Paul's 
words, " Obey your prelates and be subject to 
them, for they watch continually as being to 
render an account of your souls; that they may 
do this with joy and not with grief. ,, Heb. 
xiii. 17. 

In arranging the Distribution of Time, the 
foundress provided for only one hour of recre- 
ation, to be taken in the evening. The Arch- 
bishop considered a short recreation after dinner 
necessary for the unbending of the minds of the 
Sisters so constantly employed in either prayer 
or active employment. His wishes were com- 
plied with and the horarium approved. Rev- 
erend Mother spared no pains in impressing on 
the Sisters the importance of cultivating a spirit 



38 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

of prayer, charity, self-forgetfulness, modesty, 
humility, silence, obedience, cheerfulness, sim- 
plicity, and prudence. 

On Jan. 23, 1832, Frances Warde, with six 
other postulants, presented herself for the habit 
of religion. The name Mary Francis Xavier 
was given her at this ceremony. Her choice 
of a patron would seem providential, for as St. 
Francis Xavier was associated with St. Ignatius, 
the founder of the Society of Jesus, so she was 
associated with Catherine McAuley, the found- 
ress of the Sisters of Mercy. As he turned 
away from home and friends, from honors and 
fame, from the land of his birth and his heart's 
affections, to carry the light of the Gospel to 
heathen lands, so she, with sorrowing heart yet 
joyful soul, bade farewell to her dear native 
Erin to spread Christian education in the then 
great missionary country of America. And, 
when she met with difficulties and hardships in 
her missionary career, the same zeal and love 
for God burning in her breast as in that of her 
patron saint, never permitted any contact with 
coldness or indifference to lessen the warmth 
of her first fervor. As St. Francis Xavier 
revered St. Ignatius, writing to him on his 



Early Days at Baggot Street 39 

knees as an exterior mark of his inward ven- 
eration, so did Mother Xavier Warde love and 
respect the foundress from whom neither dis- 
tance nor time ever subtracted one iota of the 
love of her great heart. 



Chapter III. 

CHOLERA OF 1832. ESTABLISHING THE 
INSTITUTE IN CARLOW. 

ABOUT four months after Sister Mary 
Elizabeth Harley had pronounced her 
vows in the Presentation Convent she passed 
to her eternal home. She was a devoted cham- 
pion of the poor, and valued highly the happi- 
ness of being able to serve Jesus Christ in the 
person of the needy. But her constitution was 
delicate and yielded readily to the effects of 
over-exertion in ministering to the wants of 
those who needed the merciful sympathy and 
kind ministrations of a fellow-creature. She 
had been somewhat delicate at George's Hill ; 
but full of energy, and possessing a strong, self- 
denying disposition, she did not appear so ill 
as to make her condition seem serious until two 
days before her death. She died on April 25, 
1832, with the holy names of Jesus, Mary, and 
Joseph sweetly hovering on her lips. 






Cholera of 1832 41 

We have no record of her father's feelings 
as he beheld the idolized child he had conse- 
crated to God pass from earth to heaven in her 
youth and innocence. We can, however, rest 
assured that one who displayed such fortitude 
in surrendering his child to be a chosen spouse 
of God, was also possessed of a nobility of soul 
which would permit no tie of affection to thwart 
or diminish his entire conformity with the Divine 
Will. He saw his loved one depart with the 
grace of holy Profession fresh on her soul; he 
saw her go to follow the Lamb in the eternal 
mansions, where sorrow or sin cannot enter and 
where the blessed praise God forever. 

No doubt the sorrows of separation rushed 
in upon his heart with a mighty surge ; but 
through all we can picture his eyes raised to 
Heaven, comforted by the sorrowing Mother 
who stood beneath the Cross for three long 
hours, gazing on the outstretched form of her 
Divine and dying Son. 

" Like the voiceless starlight falling, 
Through the darkness of the night, 
Like the silent dew-drops forming 
In the cold moon's cloudless light, 
So there comes to hearts in sorrow, 
Mary's angels, dear and bright. 



42 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

Like the scents of countless blossoms 

That are trembling in the air ; 

Like the breaths of gums that perfume 

Sandy deserts, bleak and bare, 

Are Our Lady's ceaseless answers 

To Affliction's lowly prayer. 

They are presences and foretastes 

Of some nameless, heavenly things, 

From the golden throne of Mary, 

Wafted down to us on wings : 

Yet they come to none but mourners, 

To the hearts that sorrow wrings. 

They are wondrous thoughts of Jesus; 

They are presences of God, 

Giving zest to weary sadness, 

Or strange sweetness to the rod, 

Filling full of heavenly sunbeams, 

Sorrow's dark and lone abode — 

For they come into our spirits 

With a soft and winning might, 

And they make our Dead look brighter, 

In the waking hours of night, 

And they gently turn our darkness 

Into depths of tenderest light. 

Oh, it is as if some fragments 

Of the golden calms of Heaven 

By the Mercy of Our Father, 

Into Mary's hands were given, 

But to earth were only falling 

Upon hearts with sorrow riven. 

For in Mary's ear, all sorrow 

Singeth ever like a Psalm ; 

Welcome, Mother, are the tempests 

Which thou layest, with thy calm ; 

Sweet the broken hearts thou healest, 

With thine own heart's nameless balm." 



Cholera of 1832 43 

Sister M. Elizabeth Harley's death was deeply 
felt by Sister M. Francis Xavier, who, under 
God, was the means of attracting her to the 
religious life, and who was deeply attached to 
her on account of her highly-gifted mind and 
strong, religious character. Rev. Mother Mc- 
Auley felt her loss not less sensibly than did 
Sister Xavier; but a calm control of their feel- 
ings had long been cultivated and acquired by 
both of these valiant women. Therefore, re- 
pressing all outward marks of sorrow, they 
raised their hearts to God, and while fervently 
praying for her soul, they repeated aloud that 
portion of the Easter Office (it was the Easter 
time) : " This is the day which the Lord hath 
made; let us be glad, and rejoice therein. ,, 

The cholera of 1832 will be long remembered 
in Ireland. So panic-stricken were the people 
over its approach that many actually died of 
fear. His Grace, the Archbishop, and the Board 
of Health made frequent requests to have the 
Sisters attend the afflicted populace. Reverend 
Mother did not hesitate, but came immediately 
to the rescue by taking charge of the Cholera 
Hospital. The presence of the Sisters had a 
comforting effect on the poor patients. They 



44 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

trusted these gentle nurses, and would accept 
from their hands any remedy offered. The Sis- 
ters, on their part, while applying to the body 
the necessary remedies, did not forget the kind 
word of consolation, nor fail to remind those 
whom they visited of the duty to reflect, and 
prepare their souls for the sentence of death, if 
decreed by the Eternal Judge. The Sisters min- 
istered faithfully to every victim of this dread 
disease until the pestilence had quite disappeared 
from Dublin, and in all their ministrations, 
though hundreds died around them, not one of 
the religious died from its effects. We will 
quote here an extract from Dean Gaffney's 
Memoir of the Foundress : " There, in the very 
sanctuary of the disease, what desperate devot- 
edness would venture! Even there was the Sis- 
ter of Mercy; and not only to enter, but to take 
up her abode entirely for months; and, true to 
the example of Him who laid down His life 
for others, she gave herself a willing victim upon 
the altar of charity. So great was the devoted- 
ness of these religious, that one of them con- 
tracted an infirmity under which she labored 
many months, and of which she was healed with 
difficulty. A zeal so intense, and a charity so 



Cholera of 1832 45 

devoted, were worthy of reward even in this 
world. While hundreds were dying around 
them, they seemed to bear a charmed life. Not 
one Sister of Mercy fell a victim to the malady." 

But Dublin saw not the worst ravages of the 
cholera. In the country places of the south and 
west of Ireland, where there was no hand of 
religious near to soothe or offer relief, whole 
families might be seen dying in rude hovels or 
by the roadside, from sickness and want. After 
the plague had subsided and famine set in, scenes 
even more heart-rending were of frequent oc- 
currence. A dead mother with a living babe 
at her bosom; mothers dying of hunger, giving 
the last crumb to their starving children ; strong 
men stricken down with starvation, — were 
common spectacles of horror throughout many 
of the southern and western counties. 

After the cholera had disappeared from Dub- 
lin came the epoch of real misery. During this 
time the Sisters used every exertion to afford all 
the relief in their power to the destitute. Rever- 
end Mother's generosity in providing funds for 
this work of charity knew no bounds; conse- 
quently the time came when she opened a scanty 
purse. Then her genius invented plans for pro- 



46 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

curing necessary means to continue this great 
work. These plans were blessed most bounti- 
fully by the Giver of all good gifts. 

On one occasion we read of her organizing 
A Fancy Sale, for the benefit of the cholera and 
famine victims. In procuring articles she betook 
herself to engaging the sympathies of royalty 
in her project. One of her well-known, beauti- 
ful letters was addressed to the Duchess of Kent, 
asking for some of her own and the Princess 
Victoria's handiwork, to be disposed of at the 
sale. She received a quick reply, with every 
mark of gracious kindness, and soon afterwards 
she was forwarded a large supply of fancy work 
made by the Duchess and her daughter, Eng- 
land's future queen. 

An enormous sum paid for these articles by 
a wealthy citizen of Dublin, enabled our revered 
foundress to provide relief for the homeless 
and destitute, through her zealous nuns, who 
sought out woe in every form, and comforted 
the comfortless among these sorely afflicted 
human beings. 

Sister M. Francis Xavier Warde was the first 
to pronounce the vows of Religion in Baggot 
Street Convent, when she and three other novices 



Establishing the Institute in Carlow 47 

consecrated themselves to God on the 24th of 
January, 1833. This date marks the first cere- 
mony of Religious Profession in the Order of 
Mercy. 

The Book of Ceremonies used for Religious 
Reception and Profession was compiled by our 
foundress for this occasion. We are told that 
Archbishop Murray, who presided at the cere- 
mony, followed the form as laid down by the 
foundress, and sanctioned it for future use in 
the Order. 

Sister M. Xavier Warde and her companions 
seemed " drawn from earth " during these sol- 
emn moments, so rapt were they in the Divine 
Presence of Him Who henceforth was to be the 
only object of their love. 

A chronicler of this event says, " The four 
fervent novices pronounced the holy vows which 
bound them for life to poverty, chastity, and 
obedience, in a manner that evinced their lively 
gratitude to God for so sublime a vocation. 
Their love seemed to emulate that of the saints, 
who, from the exercise of the same virtues, and 
the practice of similar self-sacrifice on earth, are 
now enjoying their Father's smile in Heaven." 

In May, 1835, the solemn approbation of the 



48 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

Holy See in a formal document was granted to 
the newly founded Order, accompanied by the 
Apostolic benediction. 

On July 5, 1841, the Rules and Constitu- 
tions were confirmed by His Holiness, Pope 
Gregory XVI. 

The successor of the eminent Bishop Doyle in 
the united Sees of Kildare and Leighlin was the 
Rev. Edward Nolan, — "a priest of rarest hu- 
mility and virtue, whose strong, natural talents 
were developed by careful cultivation and ex- 
perience." In taking charge of his important 
diocese, his first care was to provide education 
for the poor and middle classes. This education, 
he was convinced, should be received under the 
influence of religious teachers if civilization, 
religion, and refinement would once more be 
the proud boast of Irish hearths and homes. For 
some time the good Bishop pondered within him- 
self as to the best means of bringing about his 
favorite project. He finally saw that the Sisters 
of Mercy would, in an almost providential man- 
ner, meet the wants of these people. He inter- 
viewed Mother McAuley on the possibility of a 
foundation, but the means of support were not 
yet in view. Michael Nowlan, a thrifty laborer 



Establishing the Institute in Carlow 49 

in Carlow, had accumulated the capital where- 
with he " set up " a delft-ware store, and by his 
economy and business ability made for himself 
quite a fortune. In spiritual as in temporal 
affairs, Mr. Nowlan was practical and foreseeing. 
Therefore he made up his mind to get the great- 
est good out of his wealth, by having it used for 
the benefit of humanity, feeling assured that he 
himself would get his recompense, full measure, 
and running over, from Him Who said that 
even a cup of cold water given in His name 
would not lose its reward. Before his death he 
sent for Bishop Nolan, explained how he made 
his fortune, and the manner in which he in- 
tended to dispose of it. Then he bequeathed to 
the Bishop a sum of money (which in United 
States currency would amount to thirty-five 
thousand dollars) to be used, as His Lordship 
saw fit, in educating the poor and increasing 
good works in Carlow. This legacy, left in 1836, 
seemed a God-sent gift to the zealous prelate, 
enabling him to put in execution the great desire 
of his heart. 

Accordingly, a short time after his benefac- 
tor's death, we find the good Bishop at the Mother 
House in Dublin, conferring with the foundress 

4 



50 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

for the purpose of procuring Sisters to do God's 
work in Carlow. " Give me," he said, " a small 
band of your fervent nuns, and I will take upon 
myself the whole responsibility of their mainte- 
nance. The house prepared is not exactly what 
we would wish, but we will soon build another. 
The interest of Michael Nowlan's money given 
them in perpetuity will enable them to commence, 
at once, their labors amongst the sick and poor. 
I am not rich, but I promise that my religious 
communities will never want for necessaries. 
As a small donation, and as a proof of my 
affection, I will give them the convent and 
grounds, and every year, while I live, I will give 
them one hundred pounds which, if they do not 
need themselves, they can bestow on the deserv- 
ing poor. This little gift, however, is to be a 
secret, for, if known, it might prevent the bene- 
factions of others." 

Mother McAuley had drained the numbers 
of her community for the foundations at Tulla- 
more and Charleville. Therefore, in selecting 
for Carlow, she found she must sacrifice the 
pillars of the Sisterhood at home, — her dearest 
and oldest children. Sister Veronica Corrigan, 
a lay sister of great piety, was proposed for the 



Establishing the Institute in Carlow 51 

new foundation. She had been adopted when 
a child, and, reared by Catherine McAuley, had 
been her maid at Coolock House, and, later, had 
been trained by her to be a religious of rare 
virtue. 

As the time drew near to decide on the sepa- 
ration from this faithful soul, Reverend Mother 
almost shrank from the painful ordeal of sending 
her away from the Mother House. But before 
the arrangements were announced Sister Veron- 
ica was seized with typhus fever, and died after 
a few days' sickness. As Mother McAuley knelt 
beside the death-bed of this beautiful soul going 
forth to meet her Heavenly Bridegroom, she 
reproached herself bitterly for making a reserve, 
even in thought, about sending her to Carlow. 
Then and there she made a resolution never 
again to hesitate in sending whomsoever among 
her subjects she thought best suited to advance 
God's work in the place under consideration. 

This resolution she put into execution when 
she chose for Superior of Carlow, Sister M. 
Xavier Warde, her secretary for many years, 
and Mother Assistant since Sister Marianne's 
appointment to Tullamore. This selection en- 
tailed great inconvenience to the Parent House 



52 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

at Baggot Street, which had felt for years the 
valuable assistance of Sister M. Xavier in the 
business-matters of the community. Yet we 
see both these noble women consulting only the 
stern call of duty, giving, without stint, to God, 
at the sacrifice of their own feelings, all that 
was needed to carry on His work. 

In speaking of this separation, nigh on to half 
a century afterward, Mother Warde would press 
back the tears that welled up from her great, 
warm heart, as, with moist eyes, she would say 
in her own soft, impressive tones, " I do not 
know how I survived the parting from Reverend 
Mother." From their first meeting the ardent, 
affectionate Frances Warde looked up to Mother 
McAuley as the ideal religious woman; and 
Mother McAuley was equally drawn to the 
charming young girl so much in earnest about 
doing God's blessed Will in the humble service 
of His poor. We cannot wonder if, later on 
in the establishment of the Order, we find the 
foundress placing implicit trust in the virtue and 
executive ability of Sister M. Xavier, so strong 
in character, and so discreet and pious in the 
ordering of her every act. 

On April 10, 1837, Mother McAuley, Mother 



Establishing the Institute in Carlow 53 

M. Xavier Warde, and four other sisters set out 
on their journey to Carlow. With its cloistered 
occupants inside, Purcell's mail-coach, chartered 
for the occasion, moved along at a dignified pace 
over the spacious roads, through the counties of 
Dublin, Kildare, and Queen's, until it approached 
the city 'of Carlow. Far outside the city walls 
Bishop, clergy, and laity were assembled to bid 
them welcome. The party proceeded to the 
Cathedral, where the " Te Deum " was sung. 
Then they retired to Carlow College. The Pres- 
ident awaited them at the college gates, and 
conducted them to the brilliantly-lighted recep- 
tion-hall, decked in gala-day attire, where they 
were received amid the clappings and cheers of 
the theological students. 

These attentions were most embarrassing to the 
religious, but thoroughly appreciated by them as 
a mark of good-will toward the Order of Mercy. 
As soon as the Sisters could courteously with- 
draw, Reverend Mother first thanked the Bishop 
and President of the College for their gracious 
kindness, and then gladly went to the Presenta- 
tion Convent, where the nuns had invited them 
to remain until settled in their new home, to 
which they repaired that very evening. 



54 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

A temporary altar was fitted up before bed- 
time, and the Bishop celebrated the Holy Sacri- 
fice of the Mass the next morning to obtain 
God's blessing on this new undertaking. The 
house was blessed and placed under the care of 
St. Leo before His Lordship withdrew. The 
Carlow foundation proved a great comfort to the 
foundress. Nothing was left undone by Bishop, 
clergy, or people to support and advance this 
new educational enterprise. A school was opened 
at St. Leo's which corresponded in part with our 
Day Academies. The children of many respect- 
able parents, refined by nature, but poor in this 
world's goods, found sufficient means to pay the 
fee required. The consequence was that the 
school received large numbers of intelligent 
young pupils. In after years St. Leo's became 
a veritable flower-bed of religious vocations. 
Six months after the foundation of the Sisters 
of Mercy in Carlow, Bishop Nolan became dan- 
gerously ill with fever. He was reverently nursed 
by Mother M. Xavier Warde and her commu- 
nity. His death was as beautiful in its holiness 
as his life had been eminent in the practice of 
every virtue. In chronicling his death, the fol- 
lowing paragraph appeared in a local print, 



Establishing the Institute in Carlow 55 

which gives, in a few words, the character of this 
great prelate : " He did the whole of his duty 
as a ruler in the Church of God, and did it 
well; but he would rather have his noble head 
shrouded in a cowl than graced by a mitre." 
Mother McAuley used to say that this saintly 
Bishop brought Our Divine Lord forcibly to her 
mind, so meek was he, so charitable, so possessed 
of dignity and grace in his appearance; while 
the heavenly spirituality which was evident in 
his countenance, inspired respect and affection in 
spite of his natural timidity of character. He was 
a firm support to the Sisters of Mercy in Car- 
low, and when he died their sorrow was intense, 
but accompanied by humble resignation to the 
Divine decrees of God, " Who gives and takes " 
as He sees best. The foundress in writing to a 
Sister at Carlow on this occasion says, in re- 
ferring to Mother M. Xayier Warde's sorrow 
for the loss of such a kind friend and holy coun- 
sellor : " The sorrow in which she so deeply 
shares is extensively divided, and is equally the 
affliction of many. The Presentation Nuns, who 
were so long his spiritual children, had not, I 
suppose, the comfort of seeing him. And his 
priests and people ; what must they feel ! " 



56 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

Rev. Francis Haley succeeded Bishop Nolan, 
and became a firm supporter of the good works 
already well established by his predecessor. 

Mother M. Xavier Warde had much to occupy 
her attention in overseeing the plans and build- 
ing of a new convent in Carlow, in 1838, — the 
first one built outside Dublin. At the time of its 
erection it was considered the finest convent 
structure in Ireland, as was the Carlow Cathedral 
considered the best specimen of architectural 
beauty throughout the four provinces. It was 
also considered a great triumph of faith by the 
many who recalled when the holy Sacrifice of 
the Mass was offered in a lowly cabin, hillside 
cave, or hidden glen within the very precincts 
of Queen's county. Sydney Smith describes 
it thus : " On an Irish Sabbath the bell of a 
neat parish church (Episcopal) often summons 
to service only the parson and an occasional con- 
forming clerk, while two hundred yards away 
a thousand Catholics are huddled together in a 
miserable hovel, and pelted by all the storms of 
Heaven." 

At the present time beautiful Catholic Churches 
and Chapels dot the country from the Giant's 
Causeway to the mouth of the Shannon, and 



Establishing the Institute in Carlow 57 

from Galway Bay to the mouth of the Liffey. 
Yet Carlow Cathedral remains the pride of the 
people in that vicinity, being hallowed in their 
hearts by holy traditions, because it is the work 
of the saintly Bishop Doyle. The same is true 
of the Convent of the Sisters of Mercy in Carlow. 
Its corridors and rooms were sanctified in the 
affections of the nuns by the steps of our vener- 
ated foundress. And as the author of the 
Annals says : " In its sweet old-fashioned garden 
are the soaring poplars and glossy evergreens 
which she loved, the mound crowned with roses 
which gave her such unfeigned delight, the splen- 
did stock gilly-flowers in flaunting colors which 
brightened the whole, and the trim walks which 
she paced with her darling Frances Warde and 
the cherished children of her first flock." Mother 
M. Xavier Warde was the one who planned the 
walks, the mounds, and the flower-beds of the 
beautiful convent garden at Carlow. The " soar- 
ing poplars " and picturesque arbor shades were 
cultivated beneath her well-trained eye, as every 
nook and corner of greensward and flower-patch 
were arranged under her tasteful care while she 
was Superior of the Carlow foundation. 

This Convent seemed blessed by God from 



58 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

the start, and flourished from both a spiritual 
and temporal point of view. It could be truly 
said, " The finger of God is here," for the bless- 
ing of God was visible in all its orderings. 

An extract from Mother McAuley's letter to 
Mother Xavier Warde on her return to Dublin 
from Carlow, in 1840, shows the satisfaction 
afforded her in witnessing the thriving condi- 
tion of this flower of her foundations. " The 
first prayer I offered on my arrival was to return 
the most grateful thanks to God for the sweet, 
heavenly consolation I received in my visit to 
Carlow, and to implore His blessing and gra- 
cious protection for those who have been so 
instrumental in bringing that branch to its 
present flourishing, happy state." 

" I worship Thee, sweet will of God I 
And all Thy ways adore, 
And every day I live, I seem 
To Love Thee more and more. 
I Love to see Thee bring to nought 
The plans of wily men ; 
When simple hearts outwit the wise, 
O ! Thou art loveliest then. 
He always wins who sides with God, 
To him no chance is lost ; 
God's will is sweetest to him when 
It triumphs at his cost." 






Chapter IV. 

FOUNDATIONS FROM CARLOW. DEATH 
OF THE FOUNDRESS. 

NAAS is a thriving little town in Kildare, 
nestling so closely to the River Liffey 
that the crystal waters seem almost to caress the 
fragrant hedge-rows and trim cottages of this 
typical, old-fashioned Irish town. Through the 
surrounding country these same waters ripple 
on and on, glistening in the sunshine, while they 
reflect in shade and shadow the ancient ruins 
of castle and round-tower, as they meander in 
their beautiful course to the sea. 

At the period of which we are writing, one 
prevailing fact seemed to lessen the charm with 
which Nature had endowed this delightful town. 
Religious intolerance had commenced here long 
before the days of the Emancipation movement, 
and the traces of its stunting effects remained 
long after the tearful signature of George IV. 



60 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

had turned gray on the famous Act wrung from 
the iron grasp of British power by the eloquence 
and unflinching persistency of Daniel O'Connell. 
In 1814 Father Gerald Doyle was appointed 
pastor of Naas. Many are the stories told of 
the fierce encounters he and his three curates 
were wont to experience with the bigotry which 
beset them at every turn in the discharge of 
their duties. 

In 1838 the population comprised 3,964 Cath- 
olics and 347 non-Catholics; yet the latter were 
at the head of schools, barracks, and prison, 
exercising a system of proselytism which our 
separated brethren of the present day would 
condemn as unbecoming and unchristian. On 
Sundays the pupils of the military schools, com- 
prising an overpowering majority of Catho- 
lics, were obliged to attend the " Church of 
England " services in a body with their non- 
Catholic teachers, and listen to the denial of 
the essential truths of their holy religion, whilst 
they were forced to submit to the outward cere- 
mony of a form of worship which to them was 
utterly at variance with that of the One True 
Church founded by Christ. 

These young Catholics were compelled by 



Foundations from Carlow 61 

dire necessity to take the full course of military- 
training, despite their unsatisfied consciences, 
for upon their proficiency in military tactics 
depended their hopes of a competent livelihood 
in future years. They were not to be daunted 
in the least by persuasion or threats, but turned 
to their pastor to obtain redress for their reli- 
gious grievances. He, like the faithful priest 
to be met with in every land, felt as a personal 
injury, every wrong inflicted on the members 
of his carefully-tended flock. Hence we find 
him and his curates remonstrating with military 
and municipal authorities and, as far as their 
priestly dignity would permit, contending for 
the justice their people had a right to expect. 

So intolerable were the religious annoyances 
of Naas, during the lifetime of the zealous and 
vigilant Bishop Doyle, that he declared he would 
seek open redress for his clergy and people, 
if further molested by inspectors or military 
officials. 

In passing through this litle town on one oc- 
casion, Mother McAuley had a short delay, long 
enough, however, to appreciate fully the sad 
need of religious to teach the young girls among 
the poor, whose virtue needed more than ordi- 



62 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

nary safe-guards, on account of the location of 
barracks and military schools in that vicinity. 

When Father Gerald Doyle applied to Bishop 
Haley, for Sisters of Mercy to establish them- 
selves in Naas, it was a request that met with 
the heartiest approval. The Bishop, at once, 
referred Father Doyle to the foundress in Dub- 
lin, and to Mother Xavier Warde in Carlow. 
Arrangements were speedily planned that the 
foundation should be sent out from Carlow. 
Reverend Mother was overjoyed at the prospect 
of the Sisters entering a field where their presence 
was so sorely needed. We find her writing to 
Mother M. Xavier, thus : " I cannot describe 
the joy your letter relative to Naas gives me. 
I fear I am in danger of getting a little jealous. 
Poor Baggot Street is outdone. In separating 
with the Sisters for Naas, you have a trial to 
go through. Remember the venerated Doctor 
Nolan's words : i It is my lot.' To reflect 
that it is the ' lot ' or portion God has marked 
out for us, will be sufficient to cheer us on in 
every emergency. In the faithful performance 
of every part of our i lot/ our sanctification 
consists. 

" There is reason to believe you have been an 



Foundations from Carlow 63 

obedient child, since to the obedient victory 
is given. May God continue His blessings to 
you, and render you every day more deserving 
of them/' 

Mother M. Xavier Warde founded the Con- 
vent of Mercy in Naas on the feast of Our 
Lady of Mercy, Sept. 24, 1839. She remained 
with the foundation in this ancient seat of the 
kings of Leinster until the works of Mercy were 
well organized. 

Bigotry soon gave way, and before the end 
of this first year, the Sisters' Schools were at- 
tended by several hundred pupils; while among 
the sick poor, the comfort given, and the aid 
afforded by the tender ministrations of the nuns, 
will only be known at the Judgment Seat of 
God. 

All this success of the Sisterhood in Naas 
was piously attributed by our beloved Mother 
Warde to the Bountiful Hand of God, and she 
felt it was sent as a direct blessing to reward 
Father Doyle and his devoted curates, — patient 
toilers " against the stream " for so many, many 
years. Now, in the evening of their lives, they 
saw all their efforts bearing fruit, and Father 
Gerald Doyle, that faithful man of God " who 



64 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

had borne the burden and the heat of the day " 
in this portion of His Master's vineyard, could 
look out with joy, from the watch-tower of his 
own great heart, at the accomplishment of his 
life-long desire, and utter his " Nunc dimittis." 

Mother M. Xavier took an especial care 
never to bring herself or her duties into notice 
in the community. In all her communications 
with Mother McAuley and her ecclesiastical 
superiors, about her many foundations, we find 
no words but the simple, humble lines of a sub- 
ordinate to those who represent the Will of 
God in her regard. 

She was intensely a woman of " one idea," 
but that idea comprised the whole scope of the 
extension of God's kingdom in the hearts of 
men. 

Sister M. Josephine Trenor was left in charge 
of the flourishing little Naas community, and 
we read in the early accounts of the house, that 
the Sisters at Naas never suffered from the 
ordinary loneliness of those who go on new 
foundations. This was owing, in a great meas- 
ure, to the inspiration and impetus given to the 
good work by Mother M. Xavier' s spirit of 
courage and self-sacrifice. She knew not how 



Foundations from Carlow 65 

to count the cost in her works of zeal, and un- 
til her latest day, her love of the poor, and 
her great desire of winning souls to God, were 
contagious in the communities over which she 
presided. Another reason why the distemper 
of home-sickness never showed itself in Naas, 
was because this town was a stopping-place be- 
tween Carlow and Dublin, which gave the Naas 
Sisters the hope of seeing Mother Warde and 
Mother McAuley at regular intervals. But the 
day came to them, as it does to us all, when their 
cherished supports were taken away, and their 
Divine Spouse alone remained. 

For nearly twenty years, His Lordship, Doctor 
Keating, had been Bishop of Ferns, 1 when, in 
1839, he applied for Sisters of Mercy to estab- 
lish free schools in the city of Wexford. 

Mother McAuley knew the spiritual needs of 
the children and grandchildren of those brave 
men who fell, unconquered, in the massacres of 
" '98." Therefore it was the delight of her 
heart to be able to send her religious, as " angeb 
of mercy," to educate the youth, and cheer and 
comfort the poor and sick among the near de- 

1 A diocese including the county of Wexford and part of 
Wicklow. 

5 



66 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

scendants of those heroes of faith and father- 
land. 

The charge of founding this house was given 
to Mother M. Xavier Warde, who with six sis- 
ters left Carlow early in December, 1840. The 
house was opened on the 8th of December, the 
feast of the Immaculate Conception. The first 
convent was a miserable dwelling which in its 
poverty was often truly compared to the stable 
at Bethlehem. 

God's seal is set on poor beginnings, and 
Wexford was no exception. The Sisters are 
adjured in their Rules and Constitutions " to 
cherish holy poverty as a mother " — Blessed 
Poverty, which Saint Francis of Assissi was 
wont to personify and call by the most affec- 
tionate titles! If accompanied by solid virtue, 
it ever brings God's blessing in its train. 

Mother Warde inspired the Sisters with her 
wonderful spirit of poverty, so manifest through- 
out all her religious life. They adopted her 
gayety and courage in making the best of those 
inconveniences which always accompany poverty, 
and afford such favorable opportunities of put- 
ting its spirit in practice. 

Frequently during their first days in Wexford, 



Foundations from Carlow 67 

did Mother Warde give to the Sisters those soul- 
stirring instructions, for which she was so re- 
markable, on her oft-quoted beatitude : " Blessed 
are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom 
of Heaven." " How little," she would say, " it 
takes to make God's poor happy, and how grate- 
ful they are for the smallest and most ordinary 
comforts of life, while we chafe under hardships 
and sacrifices, as if with the Sovereign Lover of 
the Poor for our Spouse, we could desire aught 
that would gratify our fastidiousness ! " Long 
after she had left her own native Erin, and " set 
sail for the land of the West," did her Wexford 
community recall those happy days of privations 
and blessings, and the practical exhortations that 
flowed from Reverend Mother's lips, coming 
direct from the heart with a force and an unction 
that could not but leave a lasting impression on 
all who heard them. 

Christmas was very near when the foun- 
dation was made, and almost at once the Sisters 
commenced their usual preparations for making 
the joyful Yule-tide cheerful and happy for the 
needy and afflicted. Surely the angels, who 
sang their " Gloria " to the poor shepherds tend- 
ing their flocks on the plains of Judea, on that 



68 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

first Christmas night so long ago, must have 
hovered near the humble abode which sheltered 
the Sisters on their first Christmas in Wexford. 
And how joyfully must their harmonious strain 
of " Peace on earth to men of good-will " have 
resounded throughout the heavenly courts, as 
Christ's poor passed out from the convent doors 
with a plenteous Christmas dinner for dear ones 
sitting hungry by their cabin fires! 

Mother Warde, during her whole life, kept 
up this pious practice of providing comfort and 
cheer for the worthy poor at Christmas. So 
anxious was she to see that each person should 
be generously provided for, on this gladsome 
feast, that until enfeebled by age and failing 
health, she always presided at these Christmas 
distributions, dispensing a bountiful supply to 
each. Mother McAuley wrote to Mother Warde, 
previous to her departure with the foundation 
for Wexford : " My anxiety about the opening 
at Wexford increases every hour. Commence 
the visitation of the sick poor as soon as possible. 
Let four go out at a time, and do not let the 
least difference appear in dress, etc. 

" The Sisters are so long expected, that every 
eye will be turned on them; and while we place 



Foundations from Carlow 69 

all our confidence in God, we must always act 
as if everything depended on our own exertions. 
Get Father Maher to preach at the Profession, 1 
and beg of him to assist in forming this new 
branch ; a good beginning is of great importance. 
I sincerely hope that Father Lacey will not fur- 
nish the convent in a worldly style." The 
" worldly style " of which the foundress disap- 
proved was far removed from the poor habita- 
tion styled a convent in which the Sisters first 
resided in Wexford. Their furnishings were so 
limited, as to cause them to carry their chairs 
from " choir " to Community Room, and from 
Community Room to Parlor, and vice versa. 

This condition of things was, however, of 
short duration. Soon they had a neat, well- 
planned convent, arranged and furnished through- 
out in conventual order, through the generosity 
of several kind benefactors. Among these we 
find the names of Rt. Rev. Bishop Keating, 
Very Rev. Father Sinnott, Canon Lacey, Mary, 
Countess of Shrewsbury, and Richard Devereux. 

The Sisters were resident in Wexford but a 
short time when the Wexford " Orphan House," 
a public institution, was given up to their charge. 

1 Of two professed-elect who went on the foundation. 



7<D Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

This work was considered a great blessing by 
the foundress and Mother M. Xavier, and both 
instructed the Sisters on their immense oppor- 
tunities of doing good in this institution. 

Mother Warde remained with the Sisters for 
some months. The new convent was dedicated 
to St. Michael, the Archangel. Trials were 
much in evidence, at first, but the untiring en- 
ergy and courage of the Sisters, with God's 
blessing, brought them meritoriously through 
darkness to light. 

When Mother M. Xavier Warde returned to 
Carlow, she left the pious Sister M. Teresa Kelly 
in charge of the Wexford House. Classes were 
formed for the instruction of adults, and no 
pains were spared in preparing persons for the 
sacraments. Mother Teresa was a favorite with 
the poor, whom she loved with a real personal 
affection; and none are so instinctively quick 
as the poor in discovering the sincerity of our 
affection for them. Once they are convinced that 
you are devoted to their interests, you can win 
their hearts and lead them to aspire to everything 
high and noble. Mother Teresa did much good 
in persuading sinners to approach the sacraments 
and amend their lives. Her devotedness to the 



Foundations from Carlow 71 

poor prisoners was remarkable, and it produced 
the best results. Many a hardened sinner among 
them, she won to God by her gentle power of 
persuasion. 

Michael Devereux charitably donated to the 
community a sum of money large enough to build 
a House of Mercy, for the purpose of protecting 
young girls of good character. He also helped 
Mother Teresa to build a little chapel at Ennis- 
corthy, with the sanction of the Bishop and 
priests, for the purpose of affording an easy 
means of hearing Mass to persons living at too 
great a distance from the Cathedral. The Sisters 
in Wexford left nothing undone in carrying out 
the example and instructions of Mother Warde. 
Their lives were a daily round of toil ; yet they 
ever kept a little cell in their hearts for their 
Dear Lord and Master where no other person 
or interest found entrance. In all kinds of 
weather they went about relieving want and 
comforting those in distress, wherever their ser- 
vices were needed. 

It is a fact worthy of notice that all of Mother 
Warde' s foundations commenced with small 
beginnings; but each one has been blessed by 
God with a success far beyond the expectations 
of the most sanguine. 



72 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

Mother Teresa, the first Superior of Wexford, 
was a living model of the essential virtues of a 
true religious. Love of the friendless and unfor- 
tunate was an inborn quality of hers. She spent 
her life in the service of the suffering poor, and 
died a martyr to her charity, in 1866, while min- 
istering to the plague-stricken when the cholera 
raged at Enniscorthy. 

" Rest comes at length ; though life be long and dreary, 
The day must dawn, and darksome night be past ; 
All journeys end in welcomes to the weary, 
And Heaven, the heart's true home, will come at last." 

Mother McAuley's health had been failing 
rapidly for some time; but in October, 1841, 
it was noticed that she seemed to apprehend that 
her days, so full of good works, were drawing 
to a close. When she had set all things in order, 
and arranged papers and important concerns of 
the community, she remarked, " All is now 
ready." She gradually weakened from day to 
day until Monday, November 8, when she re- 
ceived the last Sacraments. On Thursday morn- 
ing, November 11, the Holy Mass was offered 
in the infirmary, where she was. After Mass she 
requested to see each Sister privately. During 
this interview she advised each one according 



Death of the Foundress 73 

to her needs, and then, calling all together by 
her bedside, she gave her favorite instruction 
on Union and Charity, repeating her well-loved 
theme, " Love one another/' 

The dying foundress sank rapidly during the 
day, yet conversed calmly with those who spoke 
with her for the last time on earth. To all pres- 
ent she imparted her kindly injunctions as per- 
fectly as if she were in ordinary health. Rev. 
Mother Xavier learned her most severe lesson 
in detachment through not being permitted in 
the order of Divine Providence to be near Mother 
McAuley during her last precious moments on 
earth. In after years she passed tranquilly 
through trials, humiliations, and separations, 
but no other circumstance or event ever smote 
her very heart as did this absence from the dying 
foundress. 

About five in the evening, on November 11, 
Mother McAuley requested the Sisters to give 
her the blessed candle. The prayers for the 
dying were commenced and kept up at intervals 
of a quarter of an hour, and answered by the 
foundress as long as she was able to form a syl- 
lable. A few minutes before eight o'clock she 
gave her blessing to the community assembled, 



74 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

and to all the Superiors and Sisters of the Order. 
Prayers were resumed for the departing, and 
peacefully her precious soul went forth to meet 
its Creator and Judge. From the All-Merciful 
Master of life and death we can firmly hope she 
obtained the reward of all her works, since, 
" Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain 
mercy.' ' 

Cl Paradise, Paradise, 
The mansion of the blest; 
Paradise, Paradise, 
The true, the eternal rest. 
Never to sin, never to weep : 
To love and Love again ; 
To be near unto the Heart of God, 
And never give Him pain. 
Paradise, Paradise, 
Sweet Jesus, take me there — 
But if Thou wilt, my dearest Lord, 
My cross I '11 longer bear. 
I would not go a single hour — 
Sooner than Thou didst will ; 
But, O my God, my weary heart 
Longs for its bright home still." 



s 



Chapter V. 

TRIBUTES TO THE MEMORY OF THE 
FOUNDRESS. WESTPORT. 

AD and sorrowful, indeed, the Sisters were, 
with the " Light to their feet" and the 
joy of their heart gone from them, in the death 
of their spiritual Mother. She had pointed out 
to them the silver dawn in the darkest night of 
trial, and had often explained to them God's 
dealing as only God's servant can. To add to 
their grief, they suddenly realized that they had 
no cemetery of their own, and the thought of 
having Reverend Mother's remains removed from 
them was a fresh and insupportable affliction. 
They applied to His Grace, the Archbishop, to 
have part of the garden consecrated for a cem- 
etery, — a request that was readily granted by 
the Most Rev. Dr. Murray. It was consecrated 
by Rt. Rev. Dr. Kinsella, Bishop of Kilkenny. 

On Saturday, Nov. 13, 1841, after the Solemn 
Requiem Mass and Office of the Dead had been 



76 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

offered for the repose of the soul of our revered 
foundress, she was laid to rest — the first occu- 
pant of " God's Acre " — in the Sisters' garden 
at Baggot Street. A simple cross is raised where 
she is laid, with a request inscribed thereon for 
prayers for the eternal repose of her soul. Thus 
did Mother McAuleys desire to be buried in the 
earth like the poor come to be fulfilled, al- 
though, while living, it seemed impossible for 
her to have other resting-place in death than the 
vault in the Carmelite Church. 

Many beautiful testimonials to her pious, useful 
life were given by distinguished prelates and 
clergymen. The brevity of this simple life- 
story of her eldest and specially-loved spiritual 
daughter does not permit us to record any, ex- 
cept the important facts of the life and death of 
our venerated foundress. Hence we quote only 
one of those edifying tributes to her memory. 

It is taken from the Popular Life of Catherine 
McAuley, by T. A. Butler, and was pronounced 
by the Very Rev. Dean Gaffney : — 

" It is not necessary, in speaking of the revered 
foundress of the Sisters of Mercy, to conjure up 
an imaginary picture of perfection and benevo- 
lence, and then apply it to the character we wish 



Tributes to the Foundress 77 

to praise. No, her eulogy would be written by 
the mere mention of the one-hundredth part of 
what she has done for suffering and destitute 
humanity. In 1830 she entered the Presentation 
Convent, George's Hill, to prepare herself for the 
great work she was about to undertake. In 1831 
she commenced the foundation of the ' Order of 
Mercy/ and in 1841 she died. How short a 
time! Yet how wonderful the works of that 
mighty mind, of that expansive heart! They 
would hardly seem credible had they not hap- 
pened in our own time and passed under our 
own eyes. 

" This great and good woman had three ob- 
jects in view in founding the Order of Mercy: 
The instruction of poor girls; the visiting and 
relief of the sick ; and the spiritual and temporal 
care of distressed women of good character. And 
far beyond her own most sanguine expectations, 
she succeeded in realizing her desires. Whoever 
visits the schools at Baggot Street will be con- 
soled and delighted by the scene that presents 
itself to his view. But what shall I say of her 
charity towards poor servants who had no re- 
source, no friends, no home? She built a house 
for them, she supported them, she clothed them, 



78 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

she instructed them, she provided situations for 
thousands of them. If all this good has been 
effected by one Convent of Mercy, how much 
may be effected by the fourteen she was instru- 
mental in establishing? 

*" Few ever left this world that could, with 
greater confidence, expect to hear on the great 
accounting day, from the lips of our Divine 
Redeemer, ' Come, ye blessed of my Father, 
possess the kingdom prepared for you. For I 
was hungry, and you gave Me to eat; I was 
thirsty, and you gave Me to drink; I was a 
stranger, and you took Me in; naked, and you 
clothed Me; sick, and you visited Me; I was 
in prison, and you came to Me. As much as 
you did to one of these, my least brethren, you 
did it to Me! 

"Catherine McAuley's death was such as might 
be expected from a life replete with good works. 
It was the death of the Just, which is precious 
in the sight of the Lord. Her soul was calm 
and joyful, and perfectly resigned to the Divine 
Will. The Sisters of Mercy have one more 
advocate in Heaven. May their Order prosper! 
May they ever keep before their eyes the example 
left them by their foundress! May they ever 



Tributes to the Foundress 79 

imitate her virtues, and they will be accounted 
worthy before God and Man." 

As " Baggot Street " is the Parent House of 
the Order, the spot hallowed by Mother M. 
Xavier Warde's consecration to God, and as it 
was the dearest spot on earth to her affectionate 
heart, her life would be incomplete without a 
description of this fountain-head of the Insti- 
tute, — the place where the tiny mustard-seed 
was planted, from which has grown the mighty 
tree spreading its branches into every land and 
clime where the English language is spoken. 
After the death of the foundress, in reverential 
respect to her memory and honor to her patron, 
the Sisters had the Convent dedicated to St. 
Catherine of Sienna. Our readers may perhaps 
be interested in a true and vivid description of 
it, as given by the author of " Irish Homes and 
Irish Hearts." This we quote here: " The 
convent in Baggot Street is an extensive build- 
ing, with a very plain exterior. Within, much 
pains have been spent on decorations of a strictly 
monastic character. The cloister and convent 
chapel are beautiful. There are immense poor 
schools at the rear of the building, a large House 
of Mercy, and an institute for training teachers. 



80 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

The three principal ends Miss McAuley had in 
view in designing her Order were: The care of 
schools, the visitation of the sick poor, and the 
charge of a House of Mercy ; and to these three 
works the Sisters are bound by rule to attend as 
far as may be practicable. The House of Mercy 
is meant as a temporary refuge for respectable 
girls and women out of employment. It is chiefly 
filled by servants out of place, and has often 
proved a most valuable refuge for those in dan- 
ger. The inmates are taught to work for their 
own support, either at needle or laundry work, 
and the Sisters endeavor to procure them situa- 
tions. It is not intended they should remain any 
length of time in the House, but only until they 
can find employment. In addition to these three 
works of charity, the Sisters may undertake any 
others in accordance with the spirit of their 
Rule. The institution for training teachers, as 
alluded to in the above account, has since been 
organized as a training college, where poor girls 
are educated for teachers, who, on receiving a 
certificate from the commissioners of education, 
are admitted as teachers in the national schools. 
This college, while conducted by the Sisters of 
Mercy, is supported entirely by the government 







12 

c 




Tributes to the Foundress 81 

and subject to official regulations." Besides the 
training college, two other institutions have been 
added to the Baggot Street Convent, since 1841, 
namely, the Prison Refuge at Golden Bridge, 
and the Mater Misericordiae Hospital. 

The Refuge receives the highest praise in the 
reports of directors and chaplains of convict 
prisons. The Hospital is the best and most im- 
portant in Ireland, and it is said to be the peer 
of any institution of its kind in the world in the 
completeness of its arrangements, the skill of its 
medical staff, and the competency of its nurses. 
It has become a great school of medicine and sur- 
gery, together with its popularity as a first-class 
hospital. The following words from the So- 
licitor-General, Mr. Dowse, M. P., since a Baron 
of the Exchequer, gives some insight into its 
management : "As a Protestant, I feel a pride 
and pleasure in taking part in this work, for in 
this place relief is administered to all, without 
consideration of sect or party. The only pass- 
port required is that the person applying should 
need its shelter and assistance." 

In the first annual report of this well-known 
hospital we have the following testimony from 
the Lord Chancellor of Ireland : " Whether the 

6 



82 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

candidate be Catholic, Protestant, Mohammedan, 
or Jew, he is God's work, made to His image 
and likeness, and the gate opens freely to him, 
without a question as to his religious faith. He 
is not asked to violate his conscience, that he may 
obtain relief. The name of charity is not dese- 
crated by intolerance. It is not made a bait to 
corrupt, or a sword to persecute wretches broken 
down by disease to incapacity of resistance, and 
powerless to help themselves. ,, 

And again we read : " The Sisters of Mercy 
are truly consoling angels in this hospital. They 
minister with their own hands to its suffering 
inmates, repelled by no form of disease, how- 
ever loathsome, and declining no office, however 
mean, where modesty is not offended, so that 
they mitigate a pang, or speed a soul more peace- 
fully to heaven. And not less admirable is the 
rule by which they open their doors, at all times 
and under all circumstances, to every human 
being, without let or hindrance, who needs their 
help. Suffering is the sole condition of its own 
relief. It requires no passport from wealth or 
rank. It is subjected to no cold or jealous 
scrutiny. There is no fear that a human being 
will perish at the door while those within delib- 
erate on the propriety of his admission." 



Tributes to the Foundress 83 

Perhaps no day passed in dear Mother M. 
Xavier Warde's life, when the usual recreations 
were taken, that she did not expatiate on the 
virtues and character of our venerated foundress, 
Catherine McAuley. Therefore the older Sisters 
on all of Mother Warde's foundations can pic- 
ture her almost as vividly as if they had lived 
with her. Her face was very handsome, with 
deep blue eyes, mild and expressive of much 
beauty of soul within. Her features were regu- 
lar, and the gentle curves of her well-formed 
chin added to the already sweet expression of 
her mouth. She had a charming repose of man- 
ner, simple and unaffected, yet queenly, withal. 
She was always easy of approach, and interested 
in every topic of conversation calculated to 
broaden the intellect or refine the heart. In 
all her movements and in all her ways she was 
the perfect religious; her soul full of tenderness 
but strong as well. She was most unselfish, 
thinking ever of others with no thought of her 
own convenience. She had fine natural qualities, 
and these were ennobled by religion. Her suc- 
cess in all her works was attributed first to the 
blessing of God, and then to her associate Sisters, 
who, by their assiduity and piety, attracted the 
Divine blessing. 



84 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

A few months before Mother McAuley's death, 
Very Rev. Dean Burke applied to her for Sisters 
for Westport. She referred the foundation to 
Mother M. Xavier Warde at Carlow. 

In 1842 the Most Rev. John MacHale applied 
once more to Carlow in the interests of the 
Dean, who was pastor of Westport. Accord- 
ingly, on Sept. 5, 1842, Mother Warde and 
four Sisters left Carlow for the new foundation. 
They remained one night with the Sisters at 
Tullamore, and the next with the Presentation 
Nuns at Tuam, where His Grace, Archbishop 
MacHale, gave them a warm welcome to his 
diocese, and wished them to spend the next day 
at his palace. Mother Xavier, always ready to 
yield to the least desire of clergymen, gracefully 
acquiesced, and often spoke afterward of the 
favor the good Archbishop conferred on them 
by his condescending courtesy. Any kindness 
bestowed on her or her religious was never for- 
gotten, and long after this good prelate had 
gone to his reward she would recall his many 
generous favors, asking the Sisters to remember 
him often in their prayers. 

Their delay at Tuam disappointed Mother 
Xavier in her desire to make the foundation on 



Westport 85 

the 8th of September, the feast of the Nativity 
of Our Blessed Lady. They arrived at Westport 
on September 9, and a solemn Te Deum greeted 
their arrival. 

Dean Burke gave them his own house for 
present use, and two hundred pounds where- 
with to commence to build a new convent. His 
Grace, the Archbishop, contributed seven hun- 
dred and seventy pounds, and the Marquis of 
Sligo presented them with three acres of land 
as a beautiful site for the convent. The author 
of the Annals of the Sisters of Mercy says: 
" The Westport convent, the first built in Mayo 
for three centuries, is in one of the loveliest sit- 
uations in the world, within view of Craagh- 
Patrick, and under the shadow of a life-like 
Calvary erected on a hill." 

Mother Warde remained at Westport until 
all the Works of Mercy were commenced, then 
left Sister M. Paula Cullen in charge. Reverend 
Mother gave the instructions for Religious Re- 
ception and Profession for the first year, and 
attended the ceremonies. The convent thrived, 
and has sent out large foundations to different 
towns in the vicinity, as well as to Australia. 
Among those at home, Sligo is, perhaps, the 



86 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

most noteworthy, on account of the flourishing 
training college for teachers attached to the Con- 
vent and conducted by the Sisters. The student 
teachers number as many as one hundred and 
fifty. Their efficient training stamps their work 
as teachers with success. Sir John Lentaigne 
considered the industrial school attached to this 
convent unsurpassed in Ireland. 

Daniel O'Connell, the Great Liberator, paid 
the Sisters of Mercy the following handsome 
tribute of regard, at this time, in one of his world- 
renowned speeches : " No country on the face 
of the earth is like Ireland ! Look at the fairest 
portion of creation — possessing all the virtues 
that adorn and endear life — forsaking their 
homes, their families, their friends ! Look at the 
Sisters of Mercy clothed in coarse black gar- 
ments ! They seem poor, but in their deportment 
you recognize the refined lady! See them in the 
schoolroom, developing the intellects of our chil- 
dren, training the child-heart to love its Maker 
and Redeemer! 

" See them in Hospital ward caring for suffer- 
ing humanity! 

" See them in orphanage and industrial school, 
training the neglected and forsaken youth of 
Ireland ! 



Westport 87 

" See them hastening along the street to the 
lone couch of some sick fellow-creature fast 
sinking into the grave, with none to console, 
none to soothe! They come with consolation 
and hope, and bring down by their prayers the 
blessing of God on the dying sinner, on them- 
selves, and on their country. Oh ! such a coun- 
try is too good to be oppressed ! " 



Chapter VI. 

FOUNDATION OF THE ORDER IN THE 
UNITED STATES. 

FATHER MICHAEL O'CONNOR, pastor 
of St. Paul's Church, Pittsburg, Pennsyl- 
vania, was asked, in 1835, to translate into 
Italian some chapters of the Rules of the Sisters 
of Mercy. In this way he first learned of the 
Order and its works. As he studied the spirit 
of the Rules and Constitutions, he became more 
and more convinced of the good to be accom- 
plished by establishing the Institute in the United 
States. In 1843 Father O'Connor was named 
first Bishop of Pittsburg. He went to Rome to 
beg of the Pope to reconsider the appointment, 
alleging, as his excuse for declining, his strong 
attraction toward the Society of Jesus. " My 
one great desire," he said, " is to become a 
Jesuit." The reigning Pontiff, Pope Gregory 
XVI., considered it better that he should accept 
the mitre, and thus accosted him : " A Bishop 



Foundation of Order in United States 89 

first; a Jesuit afterwards." He was consecrated 
in Rome, Aug. 15, 1843. 

Doctor Cullen, 1 then President of the Irish 
College at Rome, was a firm friend of Bishop 
O'Connor, and, having seven relatives in the 
Carlow Convent, he naturally referred the Bishop 
to that source for laborers in the Master's Vine- 
yard in the United States. 

From the Eternal City His Lordship pro- 
ceeded to Carlow, and on Oct. 4, 1843, he and 
Father Maher — nephew of Doctor Cullen and 
pastor of St. Leo's — called at the Convent. The 
pious prelate presented to the Sisters the great 
need of religious teachers in his diocese, and 
brought to their notice the fact that much more 
good would result from their labors in America 
than could be attained in Ireland. 

Bishop O'Connor's fervent appeal for religious 
was wisely considered, and earnestly recom- 
mended to God in prayer by each one of the 
Carlow community. 

All felt an ardent desire to go forth into this 
great field of labor for the salvation of souls, 
yet no one expressed any wish, lest God's Will 
might be in some degree frustrated if the choice 

1 Afterward raised to the rank of Cardinal. 



90 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

of the missionary band was not left to those who 
had the authority to decide. The whole com- 
munity concurred in the opinion that if the 
foundation were undertaken Mother M. Xavier 
Warde seemed to be the one best qualified to 
take charge of the responsible enterprise. 

At a recent election in the Carlow Convent she 
had been made Mistress of Novices, and Mother 
M. Cecilia Maher, the Mother Superior. Her 
relief from the office of Superior seemed provi- 
dential, and an indication of the designs of God 
to make her the foundress of the Order in the 
United States. 

After much prayer and deliberation on the 
part of Mother M. Cecilia and the Sisters, it 
was decided that seven of their number should 
be sent to Pittsburg, with Mother Warde in 
charge of the foundation. Each of the twenty- 
three Sisters in the Carlow Convent cheerfully 
volunteered to embark for the New World if 
God desired the sacrifice. 

Mother M. Cecilia selected the following: 
Sister M. Margaret O'Brien, Sister M. Veronica 
McDerby, Sister M. Philomena Reid, Sister M. 
Aloysius Strange, Sister M. Josephine Cullen, 
Sister M. Elizabeth Strange, and Mother M. 
Xavier Warde. 




The Rt. Rev. Bishop O'Connor. (As a Jesuit). 



Foundation of Order in United States 91 

Preparations were commenced at once for 
their departure. The seven volunteers overcame 
obstacles and oppositions with an energy which 
was truly edifying. They bravely set aside all 
the natural feelings of their own hearts for fam- 
ilies and friends, and worked with generous 
enthusiasm in making arrangements for the ar- 
duous task of transplanting the Institute to 
American soil. 

Bishop Haley approved of the mission, but 
desired Mother Warde and Sister M. Aloysius 
Strange to return to his diocese in two years 
from the time of their going away. He also gave 
the other missioners liberty to return to their 
first religious home whenever they pleased. 
None returned; their days were heroically spent 
in the service of the Divine Master in the land 
of their adoption. The Carlow community was 
so considerate as to transfer the dowries of these 
seven foundresses to the Pittsburg Convent. 

As soon as the important business part of his 
errand was accomplished, Bishop O'Connor went 
to other cities of Ireland to secure priests and 
ecclesiastical students for his diocese. Further 
business arrangements at Carlow were made 
through the mail. 



92 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

Mother Warde and her companions bade fare- 
well to their Convent home on All Souls' Day, 
1843. The sorrow of these warm-hearted 
women, as they quietly overcame the pangs 
of separation, was intense. The townspeople 
were one vast cortege of mourners. The Bishop, 
priests, and crowds of citizens accompanied 
them outside the suburbs of Carlow, showering 
blessings and good wishes on their noble under- 
taking. The author of the Annals says : " On 
a bright November morning, when the leaves 
were red and yellow, though the air was still 
balmy, the little band of pilgrims — a grain of 
mustard-seed, indeed — wound their way out 
of the chapel, in which they had consecrated 
themselves to God, and looked their last on the 
pretty town they loved so well." 

They took carriages for Naas, where they were 
warmly received by their religious Sisters. Next 
morning they departed for Dublin. Here they 
were the recipients of every attention from 
Mother Delaney and the Sisters at Baggot Street. 
They prayed at the grave of our foundress, and 
spent hours of silent adoration in the chapel 
where Mother M. Xavier Warde had, ten years 
before, pronounced the vows that consecrated 



Foundation of Order in United States 93 

her forever to God. Every nook and corner of 
this dear old Mother House was associated in 
her mind with sweet memories of Mother Mc- 
Auley and bygone days. 

At eight o'clock in the evening of November 
4, they assembled in the chapel for Benediction 
of the Blessed Sacrament, and then continued 
their journey to Kingston, the port of Dublin. 
From here they set sail for Liverpool. 

On their arrival at Liverpool the missionaries 
went to St. Ethelburga's Convent, which had 
been founded a few months before at Mount 
Vernon. Mother Warde had been named for 
this foundation, at one time, and was much in- 
terested in it. They remained some time with 
their English Sisters, as the ship on which they 
were to embark did not sail for a few days. 

Owing to the fact that this house was newly 
founded, and at that date the only convent in 
Liverpool, there was much to be done. The 
visiting Sisters took part in all the Works of 
Mercy during the days they awaited embarkation. 

Mother Warde, with her special facility for 
giving instruction, was kept busy with adults 
preparing for the Sacraments. They came in 
such numbers that immense crowds were col- 



94 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

lected at the gate where they passed in and out. 

On November 10, the Queen of the West, the 
largest vessel crossing the Atlantic at that time, 
was in readiness to set sail. 

Bishop O'Connor lost no time in conveying 
the news to the nuns, who were quickly prepared 
for their ocean journey. His Lordship had been 
successful in obtaining one priest (Father Wil- 
son) and six students for his diocese. These 
were also ready to embark on the Queen of the 
West. By order of their Superiors, the religious 
travelled in secular garb. 

During their early missionary career it was 
sometimes expedient to don this mode of dress; 
but Mother Warde lived to see the time when 
such disguise was no longer necessary. 

Messrs. Cullen and Verdun, uncles of Sister 
M. Josephine Cullen, showed the Sisters every 
kindness, and provided them with many comforts 
for their long journey. The vessel weighed 
anchor at about twelve o'clock. Once on board, 
the nuns offered a fervent prayer of gratitude 
and praise to the good God for making them 
His feeble instruments in the promotion of the 
Kingdom of Christ on the American Continent. 

The voyage was a stormy one, and several 



Foundation of Order in United States 95 

times it was feared the vessel would sink in the 
angry waves. During one period of peril the 
captain and all on board requested the Bishop 
to conduct religious exercises. He acquiesced, 
and kept up the practice until the ship reached 
New York. 

Doctor O'Connor was an orator by nature, 
and his sermons made a marked impression on 
his hearers. The non-Catholic ministers on 
board showed him sincere respect, and delighted 
to converse with him, partly on account of his 
untiring zeal in the cause of religion, and also 
for his sweet simplicity of manner in his inter- 
course with them. 

Many of the steerage and cabin passengers 
were ill, and the Sisters used much of their time 
in ministering to them. Diaries kept during the 
voyage record many edifying examples of pa- 
tience in suffering, and resignation to the Holy 
Will of God, practised by the poor emigrants 
on board. 

During the second week the storm ceased, and 
the prominent gentlemen organized a Literary 
Society with Bishop O'Connor as President. 
They named their society, The Atlantic Social 
and Literary Association of the good ship, 



g6 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

Queen of the West. The Sisters were invited 
to the meetings, and they would have declined 
the honor had not the Bishop desired them to 
contribute to the intellectual entertainment of 
those interested by their presence, and by essays 
written by them, and read by His Lordship, to 
the unfeigned delight of the association. 

December 10 brought the ship in sight of 
land. The Bishop and several other gentlemen 
went on shore late in the evening, but the nuns 
remained on board until the following day, when 
they were received on shore by Bishop O'Connor, 
Father Quarter, then the Bishop-elect of Chicago, 
and other eminent persons. 

The Sisters were brought to the residence of 
Bishop Hughes, who gave them a cordial greet- 
ing, and joined Bishop O'Connor and Father 
Quarter in escorting them to the Sacred Heart 
Convent, on Houston Street. 

Bishop Hughes introduced the seven mission- 
aries to Madame Hardy and her community, 
asking hospitality for them until they could com- 
mence their journey to Pittsburg. The Ladies 
of the Sacred Heart were kind beyond measure, 
a favor gratefully remembered by Mother Warde 
and her religious. 



Foundation of Order in United States 97 

After three days, our travellers started by rail 
for Philadelphia. Here they remained four days 
with the Sisters of Charity. During this time 
many of the clergy and laity called at the 
Convent to welcome them to the United States. 
Miss Emily Harper of Baltimore, a grand- 
daughter of Charles Carroll of " Independence " 
fame, was among the number who paid their 
respects to the Sisters. A warm friendship com- 
menced here between Reverend Mother and Miss 
Harper, which lasted during their remaining 
years of life. On account of donations freely 
given at opportune times, Miss Harper became 
a noted benefactress of the Convents established 
by Mother Warde. 

After assisting at Mass and receiving Holy 
Communion, on December 18, the Sisters took 
the stage for Pittsburg. Much of the journey 
was made over mountain tracks and deep ra- 
vines, where the travellers were forced to walk. 
As they journeyed past Loretto, the Bishop 
called their attention to the scene of the Prince- 
priest's labors. 

At an early hour, on December 21, they reached 
Pittsburg, and went directly to the Cathedral, 
where they heard Mass and received Holy Com- 



98 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

munion. The Sisters of Charity brought them 
to the Orphan Asylum, and entertained them 
until the next day, when they took up their 
abode in their own Convent. 

This house was a four-story building on Penn 
Street. It contained a well-finished, airy base- 
ment which was used for a school in the early 
days of the foundation. Mother Warde ordered 
all the necessary furniture, immediately, and on 
Christmas Day, the different apartments were 
all religiously furnished, and the house in perfect 
order. 

The Sisters were greatly consoled at the coin- 
cidence of the birth of the Order in the United 
States with the blessed time when the Christian 
world commemorates the birth of our Divine 
Redeemer. 

They heard the early Mass with great fervor, 
and saw, for the first time, an altar decorated 
with evergreen. Bishop O'Connor announced 
at this Mass his elevation to the episcopacy, 
asking the prayers of the faithful for the grace 
to perform the duties of his office in the manner 
most pleasing to Almighty God. He explained 
to his congregation, the great burden he had 
assumed with the reception of the mitre, which 



Foundation of Order in United States 99 

must ever be regarded as the crown of thorns, — 
demanding sacrifice, unselfishness, and even per- 
fection from those on whose brow it rests. 

On the day after Christmas the Sisters com- 
menced the visitation of the sick. On December 
28, they went into Retreat for the renewal of 
vows on the first day of the New Year. The 
Bishop gave the instructions and meditations, 
which were both spiritual and practical. He 
emphasized the importance of prayerfulness and 
charity in the daily life of a religious, and in- 
sisted on the necessity of each Sister striving 
for perfection, thereby attracting the Divine 
blessing on her community, and on her work. 

The nuns were given charge of the girls of 
the Cathedral Sunday School. The Bishop's 
students took charge of the boys. The Sunday 
School classes were taught in a commodious 
school-building, erected in 1843. On the first 
floor, Mother M. Xavier Warde instructed a 
large class of adults in her own impressive man- 
ner, by clear explanations of the principal truths, 
and by striking examples. One point she was 
wont to make at every Catechism lesson, namely : 
the good to be derived from approaching the 
sacraments every month. Non-Catholics heard 

LofC. 



ioo Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

of her and flocked to hear her instructions. She 
was gracious and simple in her intercourse with 
them, and manifested a lively interest in giving 
them any information they desired. 

On account of the extensive visitation of the 
sick, and the large number of the adult classes 
for instruction in Christian Doctrine, day schools 
were not opened in Pittsburg until eight months 
after the foundation. 

Agriculture, mining, railroads, and foundries 
attracted an immense fixed and floating popu- 
lation to this enterprising city and the surround- 
ing country. For the entire circuit, covering 
nearly half of the state, the spiritual wants of 
the people were ministered to by the Bishop and 
three priests, Father Gibb, Father Garland, and 
Father Wilson. Hence, multitudes in need of 
private instruction, for the reception of the sac- 
raments, could not be reached by these ministers 
of the Gospel, and the Sisters were called upon 
to form Catechism classes for men, women, and 
children, which were held at stated hours of the 
day and evening. 



Chapter VII. 

EARLY DAYS IN PITTSBURG. 

BEFORE the departure of Rev. Michael 
O'Connor for Rome, in 1843, Miss Eliza 
Tiernan, the daughter of a wealthy banker, asked 
his advice about entering the novitiate of the 
Sisters of Mercy in Dublin. He assumed an air 
of indifference, simply saying, " Oh, do not be 
in a hurry, we may at some future time have 
the Sisters of Mercy here." 

This answer seemed unsatisfactory, and left 
her quite unsettled, as none of her worldly ad- 
vantages could satisfy the longings of her noble 
soul, whose ideal was the perfection of the re- 
ligious state. She prayed constantly to know the 
Divine Will, and after receiving Holy Com- 
munion to finish a Novena she had been making 
to St. Francis Xavier, she offered herself to God 
to enter His service in the Order to which He, 
in His Divine Providence, would guide her. On 



102 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

returning from his office that day, her father 
handed her a copy of The Tablet. The first 
item her eyes rested upon read somewhat like 
this : " Sailed from Liverpool for Pittsburg, 
United States, on board the Queen of the West, 
Bishop O'Connor, Father Wilson, six ecclesias- 
tical students, and seven Sisters of Mercy/' In 
this newspaper paragraph she recognized the an- 
swer to her prayers, and saw why her Director 
was slow in advising her to enter religion before 
his return from Rome. She was one of the first 
to welcome the Sisters to Pittsburg, and soon 
opened her heart to Mother Warde, who prayed 
for, and encouraged her, in her pious design 
of turning away from the " beaten track " to as- 
pire to higher things. On Feb. 2, 1844, Miss 
Tiernan entered the novitiate. She was then 
twenty-five years old, — an accomplished woman, 
possessed of great personal attractions, and above 
all, burning with a holy ardor to do great things 
for God and His poor. There were compara- 
tively few materially destitute in the United 
States in those days, but there were millions 
buried in the depths of spiritual and intellec- 
tual poverty. The first American Sister of 
Mercy became the ideal religious, — a woman 



Early Days in Pittsburg 103 

with one motive — God and the things pertain- 
ing to His Divine interests. 

Miss Margaret O'Brien, a postulant who came 
from Carlow on the foundation, received the 
habit and white veil February 22. In after years 
she was appointed Superior of the Chicago house. 
On April 11, Sister M. Aloysius Strange made 
her vows and Miss Eliza Tiernan received the 
habit of the Order, taking for her religious name 
Sister Mary Xavier. This ceremony took place 
in St. Paul's Cathedral. The Bishop preached 
an eloquent sermon, giving a full explanation of 
the spirit and duties of the Order of Mercy. The 
church was crowded to its utmost capacity, and 
all went away enthusiastic over the preacher, 
saying among themselves, " The life of a Sister 
of Mercy is indeed a heavenly life, full of use- 
fulness in this world, and worthy of reward 
hereafter." 

After the first few months, many subjects 
entered the novitiate, and in a short time teachers 
were chosen for the different classes in pro- 
spective, each taking a special course of training 
in the study assigned her. 

Mother Warde spared no pains in establishing 
her subjects solidly in the principles of the Spirit- 



104 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

ual life. In the early days on Penn Street, she 
gave frequent admonitions to the religious, on 
the qualities that should characterize the Spouse 
of Christ. She never tired of repeating: " Let 
not your thoughts rest on earth; keep them 
buried in the Divinity, and busy yourselves about 
spreading God's Kingdom in the hearts of men." 

She had the faculty of seeing noble qualities 
in every one, and the more she observed defects 
of character or training in those she governed, 
the more careful she was that while cautiously 
and tenderly using the " pruning knife," she 
made them feel that she had a high estimate of 
their worth. She dealt with those she admon- 
ished as if they were diamonds needing but a 
little polishing to show their brilliancy. Human 
nature loves to be trusted, and human beings 
may sometimes fail in their efforts to attain 
nobility of character for the want of the help- 
ful sympathy and good opinion of those whose 
appreciation they value most. 

Her standard of perfection was based on the 
faithful performance of every duty; the cor- 
rection of defects; and the quiet struggle to 
acquire the different virtues through much self- 
annihilation. 



Early Days in Pittsburg 105 

The two powerful weapons she was wont to 
put into the hands of those who were very much 
in earnest about becoming good religious, were 
humble prayer and victory over self-love. She 
often quoted a holy Jesuit who said : " Sweet- 
ness in prayer and frequent Communion are not 
the means but the ends. The ultimate end of 
all is, that union with God that never can be 
attained in its fulness, until we reach our heavenly 
country. Our end here below is to correct our 
faults and acquire solid virtue, for the Love of 
God consists much more in doing than in feel- 
ing." " Let us at all times, with childlike sim- 
plicity, cast ourselves into the bosom of His 
Mercy which is infinite. If trials await you — 
and what soul escapes trials ? — prepare for 
them, by detaching yourself with fidelity from 
God's gifts, that you may cling to God Himself, 
to God alone/' 

With all her interior recollection, her ideas 
of spirituality never soared to heights incon- 
sistent with her good common sense. God is 
simple; all His works and ways are simple be- 
yond our ken. His holiest servants have become 
eminent not for their elevated aspirations towards 
the Deity, not for the ecstasies with which 



106 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

God, sometimes, was pleased to favor them, but 
for their simple, trustful love, which inspired 
them to ask for nothing, but to sit, like Mary at 
the feet of Jesus, and to gaze into the beauty and 
blessedness of His Divine Face. It is related 
of a French peasant that, day by day, he knelt 
for hours in the parish church, before the Tab- 
ernacle. One day the cure questioned him, as 
to what he did, and what he said to God, as he 
knelt there, so completely forgetful of all else, 
save the Divine Presence. The simple, at the 
same time all-wise answer of the prayerful peas- 
ant, has been paraphrased in the following well- 
known lines, which we insert here because they 
portray so clearly our revered Mother's idea of 
devotion. 

" They tell me of grand, seraphic prayer, 
They speak of the light that is gathered there, 
They say that to mountain heights above 
Fly up the eagles of holy love ; 
I hear them, but never ask to soar 
While I gaze on the little Golden Door. 

" It is not praise, it is scarcely prayer, 
I only think of Him, dwelling there — 
The heart that is never strange or cold^ 
The love that is always new and old, 
Till cares and sorrows can vex no more 
While I gaze on the little Golden Door. 



Early Days in Pittsburg 107 

" I bring before Him, the crowded day; 
I try to hear what His voice would say 
If others are right, and if I am wrong, 
Am I the weak, and are they the strong ? 
I pass my thoughts and my feelings o'er 
While I gaze on the little Golden Door. 

" He so calm and untroubled still, 
We so tossed by our wayward will, 
So often sinking, so prone to fall, 
He watcheth, He heareth, He knoweth all ; 
Give me, O Lord, of Thy wisdom's store 
While I gaze on the little Golden Door. 

" I only ask for one word to show 
The way Thou wouldst have my footsteps go, 
One little beam of Thy truthful light, 
For the path grows dark, it will soon be night ; 
And the hour is coming, when never more 
Shall I gaze on the little Golden Door." 



Chapter VIII. 

ESTABLISHMENT OF SCHOOLS. 

REV. FATHER NEUMANN, a priest of 
the Congregation of the Most Holy Re- 
deemer, gave the first August Retreat. He, like 
Bishop O'Connor, dwelt largely on the para- 
mount importance of the Sisters striving by 
every means in their power to be interior reli- 
gious, if they wished their active labors to bear 
lasting fruit. When the Retreat was finished, 
Reverend Mother and her enthusiastic corps of 
helpers began preparations for the opening of 
the first day schools, which took place in Sep- 
tember, 1844. A large basement was fitted up 
for school purposes. It is true, this crude apart- 
ment could afford but poor accommodations, yet 
it was quite as convenient as many of the pioneer 
schoolhouses of those early days ; and with good 
methods, tact, and an enthusiastic love of her 
profession, a teacher with high ideals can obtain 



Establishment of Schools 109 

good results amid many inconveniences. Not 
discouraged by drawbacks, but with heart and 
soul in her work, she may be compared to some 
of the sweet-faced, thrifty mothers to be met 
with on the daily rounds of visitation. Their 
heads are busy planning, and their hands are 
busy executing many things which will elevate 
and render happy and useful the young lives in- 
trusted to them. 

The system of teaching Mother Warde adopted 
was that which she had used in Ireland, and one 
emphatically preferred by the foundress. The 
time-table was changed to suit the wants of this 
country. Under the revised Distribution of 
Time, schools opened at nine in the morning, and 
were dismissed at twelve. An intermission of 
two hours was given the pupils for dinner and 
recreation. The afternoon session began at two, 
and continued until four o'clock. 

Arithmetic was taught for an hour each day, 
in the early period of the session, when the minds 
of the pupils were fresh and active, and the 
reasoning powers at their best. 

As the pupils advanced, the higher branches of 
mathematics were introduced. Reverend Mother 
acknowledged her want of ability in this branch 



no Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

of education, and gave the charge of these classes 
to Sisters who were competent mathematicians. 

History and geography, English and book- 
keeping were carefully taught for a specified 
time on alternate days. 

Mother Warde had collections of classical 
stories for little ones in the lower grades which 
the other Sisters often used for reproduction. 

Reading,- writing, spelling, and English gram- 
mar held important places in the daily pro- 
grammes, and the graduates of this school went 
out from its portals proficient in these branches. 
Catechism was explained for thirty minutes each 
day; the children were taught, with much pre- 
cision, their duties to God, their neighbor, and 
themselves. Dry facts were never presented to 
the pupil. Every truth was illustrated by some 
beautiful example or soul-stirring story. This 
method of instruction in Christian Doctrine has 
been adopted by nearly all the communities of 
the Order; the experience of those who take an 
active part in preparing children and aduhs for 
the sacraments has proved it to be a most effective 
one. Reverend Mother insisted on daily lessons 
conducive to correct position in sitting, walking, 
standing, etc. Practice in graceful carriage, 



Establishment of Schools 1 1 1 

bowing, repose of manner, modest control of the 
eyes and countenance, and other essentials of 
good breeding had a special place in the daily- 
distribution of time. 

She attached much importance to educating 
the children in civility of manners and goodness 
of heart. In that humble school on Penn Street, 
taught by these laborious nuns, the rules of 
politeness and social etiquette were as thoroughly 
instilled as could be done in a fashionable board- 
ing school. The pupils were rendered intelli- 
gent, obedient, and respectful to parents, supe- 
riors, and companions, thus meriting the good- 
will of all with whom they came in contact. 

The formation of the child's character was not 
lost sight of in those pioneer schools of the early 
days in the United States. Many incidents re- 
corded in the journals of the Sisters recall 
Mother Warde as she was in her first years 
in Pittsburg, — tall, erect, and full of earnest- 
ness, teaching the little ones the wickedness of 
lying, and the necessity of honesty in thought, 
word, and deed. 

Truth and sincerity were strongly fostered, 
while every effort was used to stamp out false- 
hood and deceit. The children were shown the 



H2 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

manner in which the Christian virtues may be 
practised and the opposite vices uprooted. 

By close attention to the cultivation of the 
heart, mind, and judgment, the pupils were aided 
in developing good habits, and thus, gradually 
but surely, cheerful, healthy characters were 
formed. God's eternal law was so strongly in- 
culcated that it could not fail to regulate their 
conduct in after-life. They were trained to 
habits of correct thinking, speaking, and acting 
by ever comparing their actions and words with 
the standards of right and wrong. 

Music was taught in one of the parlors of the 
convent by Sister M. Philomena and Sister M. 
Xavier. 

A taste for good reading was ingeniously cul- 
tivated in the schools. For this end Reverend 
Mother established a library, where useful, inter- 
esting reading matter was given out and returned 
weekly. 

She was a firm believer in the circulating 
library as a powerful means of elevating the 
minds and hearts of the young intrusted to her 
care, and wherever she made a foundation she 
organized a library. 

The girls of " those good, old days," as we 



Establishment of Schools 113 

heard an aged religious remark not long ago, 
" were taught to use the needle as well as the 
pen ; to make and to mend ; to darn and to knit, 
and become useful in the home. When they left 
school they took part in the general sewing and 
employments of the family, instead of wasting 
their time on the ' fads ' and sentimental novel- 
reading of the hour/' 

It was Mother Warde's custom to give a series 
of " Talks " to the Sisters engaged in teaching, 
on the use of mild methods of discipline. 

She discountenanced anything in the form of 
severe punishment, which destroys honest senti- 
ment by degrading the mind, and rendering un- 
tractable the heart of the child. Love, and the 
fear of losing the esteem and good opinion of 
teacher and parents were, she considered, the 
best controlling forces in the schoolroom. She 
advised the teacher to show the deepest interest 
in the welfare of the pupil, but never, on any 
account, to be familiar, or let the child grow 
free, for " familiarity breeds contempt/' 

Fear of God — of His displeasure, and of His 

punishments — well instilled into children will 

restrain them from any vicious conduct. 

Merits, judicious praise, and the pleasure of 

8 



ii4 R ev * Mother M. Xavier Warde 

looking forward to the approval of teachers and 
parents are a powerful stimulus to study. Use- 
ful and constant employment of time is an un- 
failing preventive of restlessness and mischief. 
Encouraging the spirit of emulation among the 
pupils by various ingenious plans, and present- 
ing the lessons in such a manner as to be thor- 
oughly interesting to the child, she considered 
the most successful method of obtaining favor- 
able results. " To instruct/' she would say, " is 
an easy matter; but to educate requires inge- 
nuity, energy, and perseverance without limit." 
The practice of requiring the pupils to write 
some paragraphs of history, reading, spelling, 
etc., loss of merits, removing from sections of 
" Honor/' suspension of " small charges " given 
to children as rewards, together with other mild 
punishments of like nature, administered with 
firmness, were recommended by Reverend Mother 
as the wisest mode of punishing imperfections 
in conduct and lessons. 

The school gave satisfaction to parents and 
pupils, and was, with its numbers of bright, 
studious children, Bishop O'Connor's pride and 
joy. His Lordship often pronounced it, " the 
happiest spot in Pittsburg." The religious who 



Establishment of Schools 115 

conducted it spared no effort in their labor of 
love, while the saintly prelate who supported it, 
and visited it almost daily, left nothing undone 
that could in any way contribute to the spiritual 
and temporal welfare of its pupils. 

Many new subjects entered the community 
during the first year, and the school attendance 
increased so rapidly that, in April, 1846, the 
Bishop provided a large building, well adapted 
for educational purposes, into which the schools 
were removed. 

The poorhouse in Allegheny and the Peni- 
tentiary were visited by the Sisters every week. 

Mother Warde's gift of attracting non-Catho- 
lics to the faith seemed to be a hindrance to this 
good work, for the Superintendent took offence 
at the influence she exercised, and refused ad- 
mission to the Sisters. She had never inter- 
fered in the religious belief of a single prisoner, 
unless requested to enlighten him on the duties 
of a Christian. Had these unfortunate creatures 
known the Ten Commandments of God, and 
formed the habit of practising them, — the only 
doctrine Reverend Mother had explained — 
their places might not have been behind prison 
bars. 



n6 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

But, thank God, this incident has been almost 
an exceptional instance in the experience of the 
Sisters of Mercy. They have seldom received 
anything but courteous attention from prison or 
public officials, who are always glad and willing 
to have comfort and sympathy administered to 
the unfortunate human beings who, as prisoners 
of justice, must pay the penalty of their misdeeds. 

A visit from those who come in Christ's con- 
soling name, to speak the encouraging word, and 
point heavenward to the despairing soul, must 
be productive of good. 

Wonderful is the grace which God showers 
upon those souls who come to Him with sincere 
sorrow for the past, and with firm purposes of 
never again displeasing Him. One sympathetic 
look, one word of kind admonition may touch the 
hardened heart, and cause it to leap upwards 
into the arms of God's infinite Love. It was 
this conviction that caused St. Vincent De Paul 
to become Almoner-General to the miserable out- 
casts chained to the oars of the hulks in the 
galleys, toiling like beasts of burden. It caused 
him to exchange places with the prisoner; to 
wear his chains; to live on his fare; to do his 
work; to dwell in the loathsome society of con- 



Establishment of Schools 117 

victs. God had other designs for the saint, and 
in the orderings of Divine Providence he was set 
free, but not before he had elevated the minds 
and hearts of these poor convicts, and won many 
of them to contrition and ardent longings for 
virtue and purity of life. 

How many there are who flaunt their opinions 
about the absurdity of spending time and energy 
in endeavoring to soften the hearts, and lead to 
paths of righteousness those who have degraded 
their manhood and womanhood by the sinfulness 
of their lives! Perhaps many of such men and 
women are outcasts on account of their birth, 
their surroundings, or their early training, and 
appear before the courts of justice more from 
lack of character to resist their evil tendencies 
than from malice in their wrong-doing. 

Those who are severe in their judgments of 
these poor fallen ones, for whom Our Lord suf- 
fered and died, should remember the following 
lines, by Father Faber, on the Penitent Mag- 
dalen, read by so many to their own greater 
comfort, since none of us can say, we are better 
than the " just man," who sinned seven times 
a day, or, if God's grace were withdrawn, would 
not become the most sinful of His children: 



n8 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

" And yet thou, too, once wert wandering, 

Once wert soiled with darkest stains, 
Who art now all-fair and spotless 

In the land where Jesus reigns. 
Thou wert wretched, thou wert drooping, 

Thou wert crushed upon the earth, 
Who art greater now and grander 

Than an angel in his mirth. 

" Thou didst fly unto thy Saviour, 

And thine eyes were fixed on His, 
While thy guilty lips were printing 

On His feet full many a kiss : 
And then, wonder of compassion ! 

In one moment thou wert free, 
And a gift of love unequalled 

From His Heart came into thee. 

11 Blessed swiftness of a pardon 

Which thy guilt could not delay ! 
Happy penance of a moment 

Burning life-long sins away ! 
O, those gentle Eyes of Jesus, 

And those tender words He said ! 
O, the value that He places 

On the tears that sinners shed ! w 



Chapter IX. 

BISHOP O'CONNOR AND THE INSTITUTE. 

" ^TT^HE blessed cross of Christ be about us ! " 
JL was a favorite prayer of Rev. Mother 
Xavier. Nothing of spiritual importance thrives 
outside its shadow, and her communities always 
recall this great mother's words when trials come 
to them. 

The first taste of the cross experienced by the 
Pittsburg community came in the sickness and 
death of Sister M. Philomena Reid, one of the 
generous band who sacrificed all that was dear 
to them in the world to establish the Sisters of 
Mercy in the United States. 

Reverend Mother and the other Sisters noticed 
her failing health ; but she was one of those active 
souls, full of energy and enthusiasm, who labor 
on' and on, in God's vineyard, scarcely taking the 
time to realize that they are suffering from fa- 
tigue, or pain, or weakness. 



120 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

Mother Warde said little; but as she gazed 
at Sister Philomena's hectic cheeks and feverishly 
brilliant eyes, she resolved to be reconciled to 
the early death of one of her most promising 
subjects. 

Reverend Mother called this brave worker 
from the schoolroom, where she was teaching 
her class, to be examined by the physician, who 
found her lungs in a bad condition. She lingered 
for some time, but was never able to return to 
her well-loved duty. Her pure soul winged its 
flight to her Heavenly Spouse, on the Feast of 
the Holy Angels, 1845. 

She had never prayed for her recovery. Her 
one ejaculation was : " May the most just, most 
holy, and most adorable Will of God be in all 
things done, and praised, and forever magnified.' ' 

A short distance outside the city lived a wealthy 
resident who, in 1844, gave the Bishop one hun- 
dred and ten acres of land to be used as a site 
for a boarding-school for young ladies. 

Bishop O'Connor considered the establishment 
of a boarding-school in his diocese, with an aca- 
demical course of study, to be a necessary work 
of Mercy. There was no such institution for 
Catholics in all Pennsylvania at that time, and 



Bishop O'Connor and the Institute 121 

the expense and embarrassing circumstances at- 
tending the placing of children at Georgetown, 
and other distant academies, in those days of 
stage-coaching and slow tow-boating, caused 
fathers and mothers to keep their daughters at 
home, despite their strong desire to provide for 
them the educational accomplishments of the 
Convent graduate. 

Reverend Mother took the same view as the 
Bishop, of the good to accrue from opening an 
academy for young ladies. Mother McAuley 
had advised such a school at Carlow, which be- 
came a fruitful source of vocations. 

Our foundress believed in extensive free 
schools, where the rich and poor could mingle 
and be educated together ; but she thought there 
should be one select school in every diocese, for 
the convenience of the upper and middle classes 
who desired to place their daughters in private 
academies, founded on Christian principles, where 
their training would fit them for the higher social 
life, and at the same time form their minds and 
hearts for the discharge of their duty to God, 
and the observance of His Holy Law. She 
also felt that the boarding-school would become 
necessary for the training of young girls wish- 



122 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

ing to enter religion, saying : " It is from these 
schools many of our best Sisters have come. ,, 
Mother McAuley lived only ten years after the 
establishment of the Institute, and therefore was 
not able to organize all the good works she had 
contemplated. But Mother Warde, trained under 
her pious care, and knowing all her projects for 
God's greater glory, was anxious to execute the 
designs she had left unfulfilled. The Bishop 
called the Sisters together, made them aware of 
the object of the meeting, and asked for their 
opinion. Reverend Mother was the only one 
who took His Lordship's view of the matter. 
The other Sisters gave their reasons for believ- 
ing that there was too much need of their ser- 
vices among the poor and sick to undertake so 
extensive a work, which would call for a large 
staff of teachers, besides special boarding ac- 
commodations for the pupils. The Bishop was 
pleased with their candor and good sense, but 
explained, at length, how the select school would 
be a work of Mercy in accordance with the Rule 
and spirit of the Order, because from these 
schools would go forth many well-trained ladies, 
with a finished education, to impart their knowl- 
edge to the working classes. 



Bishop O'Connor and the Institute 123 

When the Sisters understood fully that the 
academy could be made an effective aid to pro- 
mote the glory of God and salvation of souls, 
they gave their consent to its establishment. 
Bishop O'Connor laid the matter of the under- 
taking of such schools as a work of the Order 
before the Pope, and received the sanction of 
the Church, His Lordship transferred the prop- 
erty in Westmoreland County, which Mr. Kuhn 
had given him, to the Sisters of Mercy; and the 
building of St. Xavier's Convent and Academy 
on this beautiful tract of land began at the same 
time that Mother Warde made the foundation 
at Youngstown, about two miles distant. At the 
expiration of two years teachers and pupils re- 
moved from Youngstown to the new St. Xavier's 
on the " Kuhn Farm." 

Father Stillinger had been the pastor at 
Youngstown until 1845, when Father Gallagher 
of Blairsville exchanged places with him. To 
the large two-story house which had been the 
residence of Father Stillinger, Father Gallagher 
added a kitchen, refectory, and two schoolrooms, 
and this he placed at the disposal of the Sisters, 
until the completion of their new building on the 
Kuhn property. Therefore, through the sacri- 



124 R ev - Mother M. Xavier Warde 

fice of this generous priest — who retired to a 
log-cabin, that the school for Catholic children 
might be opened — Reverend Mother was able 
to make arrangements to commence, in April, 
1845, a select school, which she called St. Xavier' s 
Academy, and a free school near by. 

The academy opened with fifteen pupils. Be- 
fore a year had elapsed, there were eighty in 
the building. When the school was removed 
to the new St. Xavier's, there were over one 
hundred, sixteen of this number being Protes- 
tants. The free school flourished, and in a few 
years a fine new brick building was erected to 
accommodate the little ones, who flocked each 
day to its cheerful apartments. 

Sister M. Josephine Cullen was the first Su- 
perior. She commenced with a staff of six 
religious teachers, but ere long the number had 
increased to twenty. 

The course of study adopted for the Academy 
was nearly the same as that used by the Sisters in 
the free schools in Pittsburg, with the addition 
of some of the higher branches and the lan- 
guages. In the academies she founded, Rev. 
Mother Xavier recommended strongly that the 
French language be carefully taught with abun- 



Bishop O'Connor and the Institute 125 

dant practice in French conversation, because of 
its utility as the language of polite society. She 
gave the Latin language an important place also 
in the curriculum of studies for our academies, on 
account of its value as a discipline for the mind. 

Near St. Xavier's Academy was built a house 
for the chaplain and guests, with comfortable 
apartments for Mr. Kuhn, where he spent the 
remainder of his life. He had some laughable 
eccentricities. One of these was a decided ten- 
dency to find fault with the school-children, and 
report their misdemeanors to headquarters. They 
were wont to retaliate by stripping his goose- 
berry bushes, tying yellow bows on his faithful 
" Fido's " tail, running through his turnip-field, 
and hiding his walking-stick. 

However full of mischief and ready to tease 
these children may have been, they never showed 
the slightest want of deference to the aged gentle- 
man by word or act in his presence, their childish 
freaks of fun being perpetrated when Mr. Kuhn 
was engrossed at his prayers, or when he was 
taking a midday nap. 

He was strongly attached to the Sisters, the 
chaplain, and everything about this beautiful, 
conventual spot. 



126 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

Father Gallagher had desired for many years 
to join a religious Order, but the scarcity of 
priests for the diocesan work deterred him from 
fulfilling his desire. Later on in life he joined 
the Augustinians in Philadelphia, where he did 
much faithful service in his Master's vineyard, 
and died a holy death. 

In August, 1845, ^e Bishop accompanied 
Rev. Mother Warde and Sister M. Xavier Tier- 
nan to Ireland to procure some good postulants 
for the American Mission. From every side 
were requests for the Sisters to establish schools, 
and he considered it a wise project to look for 
new members, if all the demands for foundations 
were to be granted. They returned in Decem- 
ber with two postulants, Miss O' Gorman and 
Miss Kelly, graduates of the Ursuline Convent 
in Cork, besides three professed Sisters, Sister 
M. Anastasia, Sister M. Gertrude, Sister M. 
Augustine, all won to the Lord's vineyard in 
fair Columbia's land by the eloquent plead- 
ings of Mother Xavier for helpers to plant 
the good seed in the hearts of the multitudes, 
waiting for the consoling voice and the enlight- 
ening word. 

St. Xavier's Academy was an institution dear 



Bishop O'Connor and the Institute 127 

to the Bishop's heart, and he entered largely 
into every plan that had in view its further 
advancement. He took pride in bringing prel- 
ates, priests, and other eminent persons to visit 
the convent, schools, and different institutions of 
the Sisters. He examined the pupils frequently, 
and gave the Sisters and children treats of 
general information from his well-stored mind. 
Every little child, every youth, and every maiden 
in Pittsburg and the surrounding country was 
known and cared for by His Lordship, and they 
loved him dearly in return. 

His visits brought gladness to every member 
of St. Xavier's Academy. In " Leaves from 
the Annals " we catch glimpses of his delightful 
character, as the old pupils described him in 
their letters, long years after they had been grad- 
uated from their loved Alma Mater. In an ex- 
tract from one letter we read : " His grand 
presence was inspiring, and lent a charm that 
stimulated to higher purposes/' 

From another we quote*: " The character of 
our Bishop was a wonderful combination of 
powerful intellect and exquisite tenderness. I 
have the most touching memories of his wise 
counsel and fatherly affection in my joys and 



128 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

sorrows. As an illustration of his humility and 
delicate consideration for others, I recall that 

Mr. and I, with our little ones, drove out 

Fourth Street one Fourth of July. In front of 
us was the Bishop's modest turnout, which had 
room only for himself and the driver. Presently 
he spied his cook, Mary Moran, trudging along 
in the heat and dust, carrying a heavy basket. 
Suddenly His Lordship orders a halt, steps down 
and makes Mary take his place, saying he pre- 
ferred walking.'' 

His simplicity of manner and his genuine 
sincerity endeared him to every man and woman 
in his diocese, but especially to the young. 
Greatness bespeaks simplicity, and nowhere do 
we find a truer proof of such than in this 
great man of God, whose learning and eloquence 
adorned the See he so wisely filled, but whose 
life was as simple and self-denying as that of 
the poorest religious. 

The following words from an old boarder at 
St. Xavier's, written in the Annals, gives an 
insight into his love for the poor: 

" When I took leave of him he slipped into 
my hand, with the embarrassed air of one fearing 
to have it noticed, a ten-dollar bill ' for Ellen 



Bishop O'Connor and the Institute 129 
— / whom you remember as very poor and 



very holy." " He was literally afraid of letting 
his left hand know what his right hand did." 

Father McCullagh was the first chaplain at 
St. Xavier's. He took a great interest in the 
school, the religious, and the pupils. All remem- 
ber with gratitude his edifying life and spiritual 
exhortations. 

Bishop O'Connor established the Benedictine 
monks in Father Gallagher's house when the 
Sisters removed to their new convent. In time, 
as English-speaking Fathers were counted among 
their numbers, they became the chaplains at St. 
Xavier's, and continue to fill that office at the 
present day. " The Abbot has been a true 
father " to the Sisters of Mercy, and in every 
way have these self-sacrificing monks aided and 
protected the community by their kindness. 

The congregation in charge of the orphanage 
withdrew in 1845, on account of a pressing need 
in what was considered a more necessary field 
of labor. The Sisters of Mercy were appointed 
to take charge of the orphans. 

A new hospital was in course of erection, but 
when the epidemic of typhus ( " ship- fever " ) 
broke out in 1847, the Sisters opened a tempo- 

9 



130 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

rary hospital. It was soon occupied by typhus 
patients, and sick, broken-down soldiers return- 
ing from the Mexican War. In May, 1848, 
Sisters and patients took up their abode in the 
new building. The first medical staff consisted 
of Drs. McNeal, Gazzin, Bruce, and Addison. 

The present hospital of the Sisters of Mercy 
in Pittsburg accommodates one hundred and 
fifty patients. 

On account of the emigration from Ireland 
in 1848, the school attendance was doubled; 
the visitation became extensive; and the hos- 
pital work increased from the number of pa- 
tients arriving with " ship-fever." Night and 
day the Sisters did their duty diligently in the 
deadly typhus wards, comforting the dying and 
winning souls to God. Five choir Sisters and 
three lay Sisters caught the disease in their min- 
istrations, and " died martyrs of charity." 

Mother Warde became so broken down in 
health from her constant attention to the sick 
and dying that Dr. Addison ordered her to 
leave the hospital at once. Sister Xavier Tiernan, 
then Mistress of Novices, left her duties in the 
Novitiate to aid in the hospital work. She la- 
bored in a close ward, consoling and encouraging 



Bishop O'Connor and the Institute 131 

the poor victims with heavenly hopes, until she 
sank exhausted. 

It was Reverend Mother's cross not to be 
allowed to assist this dying religious, — her first 
subject in America, and a hidden saint, — so 
serious was her own condition at this time. 
" Heroes such as these pass silently through 
life, and fame never reaches them.'' They saw 
death before them, but they feared not its terrors, 
so long as there was a pain to be relieved or 
a soul to be saved. 

No danger daunted the hearts of the devoted 
Bishop and his clergy. They stood by the 
bedsides of the dying and the dead. They ad- 
ministered the last rites of the Church, and sent 
hundreds of souls penitent to the feet of their 
Saviour and Judge. God seemed to keep His 
protecting arms about them and saved them from 
the deadly contagion. In 1850, the Sisters in 
Pittsburg took up their abode in their new con- 
vent just finished on Webster Avenue. This 
still continues to be the Parent House of the 
diocese. A home for working women and a 
chapel has been built near the convent, together 
with a free school and an academy. 

Pittsburg, with its many industries and enter- 



132 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

prises, has been aptly called the " American 
Workshop/' With the different works of Mercy, 
the community became a veritable religious 
" workshop." Yet a beautiful spirit of helpful- 
ness and cheerfulness reigned supreme, and the 
most laborious tasks seemed light, because " love 
thinketh not of labors, would willingly do more 
than it can — f eeleth no burden, complaineth not 
of impossibility. It can achieve anything; when 
weary is not tired; when straitened is not con- 
strained; but like a vivid flame and a burning 
torch, it mounteth upwards, and securely passeth 
through all." 



Chapter X. 

FOUNDATION OF THE ORDER IN CHICAGO. 

REV. FATHER QUARTER, the Bishop- 
elect of the newly formed diocese of Chi- 
cago, was one of the group of eminent divines 
who stepped forward to welcome Rev. Mother 
Xavier Warde and her associate Sisters, when 
they first set foot on American soil. 

In the same breath with his words of greeting 
he invited Reverend Mother to plant the Order 
in what was to become the " Garden City of the 
West," — the Great Lake metropolis, with an 
area surpassing any other city in the world, then 
little less than a vast prairie-land, dotted with 
rough, board cottages, or pioneer log-cabins. 
The Bishop would admit of no refusal and of no 
delay. He kept urging his request for the next 
three years, until, finally, Reverend Mother acqui- 
esced in the summer of 1846. 

She selected six religious for the foundation, 
with Sister M. Agatha O'Brien for the Superior. 



134 R e ^ Mother M. Xavier Warde 

Accompanied by the Very Rev. William Quarter, 
the Bishop's brother, they commenced their jour- 
ney on September 19. 

By river and by lake, through the wilderness, 
where the autumn leaves were tinged with scar- 
let, over prairie-land decorated with wild asters 
and golden-rod mingling with the meadow-grass, 
the little party made their way. They sailed up 
the Ohio to Beaver, then chartered a stage to 
Poland, Ohio. From here they continued their 
journey by stage to Cleveland, where they re- 
mained until Sunday evening to observe the 
Lord's Day. 

Then they went on board the Oregon, intend- 
ing to go the rest of the way by water. 

In this they were disappointed, being obliged to 
leave the boat at Detroit, as there was no room 
for them on board. Other passengers had bought 
their tickets before the Sisters ; therefore " First 
come, first served," left the Chicago foundresses 
waiting on the shore, where the sparkling current 
of the Detroit River stoops down to mingle with 
the serene and peaceful waters of Lake St. Clair, 
resting, like a tiny crystal setting, between the 
broad, silvery expanses of Lake Erie and Lake 
Huron. The courteous Bishop Lefevre of De- 



Foundation of the Order in Chicago 135 

troit came at once to the aid of the religious. 
He showed them every mark of kindness and 
respect, making their forced stay at his residence 
one of those pleasant incidents which happen very 
accidentally, but the memory of which is ever 
afterwards cherished. 

When Reverend Mother related this experi- 
ence in after years, she always finished her nar- 
rative with " God love the good Bishop Lefevre." 

On Tuesday they journeyed by stage to Kal- 
amazoo, thence to St. Joseph, where they took 
passage on the steamer Sam Ward, bound for 
Chicago. After sailing a night and a day on 
the lovely waters of Lake Michigan they reached 
their destination on September 24, the feast of 
Our Lady of Mercy. 

The Bishop's " palace," a small, miserable 
cottage at the corner of Michigan and Madison 
Avenues, was given by him for a convent. 

He took up his residence with Father McEl- 
hearne, the rector, in a wretched hovel near the 
Cathedral. On their arrival the little party, ac- 
companied by the Bishop, went to the Church to 
thank God for their safe journey, and to ask 
His blessing on the religious enterprise they 
were about to undertake. 



136 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

The great desire of His Lordship's heart was 
to have the children of his flock taught by re- 
ligious, and the poor and sick, who stood in 
so much need of consolation in their miseries, 
consoled by the presence and sympathy of those 
consecrated to God for the especial service of 
the lonely and the sorrowful. 

The dawn of this day was breaking for him, 
but when he saw these delicate ladies enter the 
rough shanty he had vacated for their use, he 
regretted his persistency in asking religious to 
brave the hardships, poverty, and danger they 
must encounter in this wild region where only 
a few years before " the painted savage had 
yelled his war-whoop. " 

It was late that night before the Sisters had 
arranged a little chapel in their modest dwell- 
ing, but the next morning would bring the 
Bishop with Our Dear Lord to dwell with them 
on the lowly altar which their own hands had 
fashioned. 

Their little apartments were made of roughest 
timber, but beneath its roof they had Our Lord, 
and having Him they had all they desired. 

They saw God's work to be done. Would they 
turn back or become disheartened? That was 



Foundation of the Order in Chicago 137 

not Mother Warde's way of accomplishing her 
great works of zeal in the service of God. 

She urged on the Sisters, by word and by ex- 
ample, to take up each duty, each difficult task, 
cheerfully and patiently, performing it little by 
little as if it were the only hard thing they 
would ever be called on to do. 

Thus was each work taken up and accom- 
plished. Every effort was used and quiet pa- 
tience exercised, until their loving perseverance 
in noiselessly spreading the Kingdom of Christ 
in these Western Wilds was blessed by God 
with a success never dreamed of by the first 
group of toilers in the Master's vineyard. 

Reverend Mother inspired them with courage 
and confidence as she worked on, a living ex- 
ample of strength in weakness for those who 
lean upon the strong arm of the Almighty — 
an Arm which is never shortened, never with- 
draws itself so long as we admit our own little- 
ness and rely on God's All-powerful help. 

She and her companions blessed their Divine 
Spouse for being allowed the privilege of suffer- 
ing the effects of holy poverty in the extension 
of good works which, with her prophetic eye, 
she discerned would enlarge and spread in the 



138 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

years to come beyond the most sanguine expec- 
tations. She was right; religion has grown in 
Chicago with the same vast proportions as the 
temporal importance of the city. 

Aye, far, far beyond. For one day " Father 
Time " will destroy the giant steel-mill, and the 
gigantic rolling-mill, with the miles of business 
blocks and all the industry, prosperity, beauty, 
and power surrounding them. 

But the immortal results of Christian edu- 
cation, with all the religious activities in the 
Church of God, will rise higher and higher, 
penetrating even unto the everlasting mansions 
of Heaven where " the rust will not consume, 
nor time destroy." 

When the Sisters went to Chicago, in 1846, 
it was a small " wooden city " with about fif- 
teen thousand inhabitants. Now it is a city of 
massive brick and stone structures, many of its 
buildings being twelve and fourteen, and even 
twenty stories high. Its population has increased 
to over a million and a half. 

After Mass and breakfast on the morning 
following their arrival, the Bishop heard, as 
he spoke with Rev. Mother Xavier, the joyous 
laugh of the Sisters through the cracks in the 



Foundation of the Order in Chicago 139 

rough deal boards which separated the parlor 
from the community-room. 

This put an end to the terrible anxiety of 
mind that had caused him to pass a sleepless 
night regretting the act of bringing nuns into 
such crude and uncivilized surroundings. He 
knew such merry notes of mirth could not come 
from dejected or distrustful hearts. 

What matter if often the young community 
had to depend on the early settlers for their 
daily sustenance? They knew God would pro- 
vide for His own. How well His promise of 
never disappointing those who put their trust in 
Him has been kept, let the grand institutions of 
the Sisters of Mercy in Chicago to-day attest. 

Reverend Mother worked unceasingly during 
her months in Chicago, both in the organization 
of a well-ordered community, and in the auspi- 
cious opening of schools, instruction classes, and 
visitation of the sick poor. In her own instruc- 
tion class she had several Indians, who called 
her the " pale face mother/' and reverenced her 
as a being dropped down from the heavens. 

At one end of their shanty-convent stood 
a dilapidated frame building. This, Reverend 
Mother and the Sisters arranged and beautified 



140 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

inside, with the help of the Bishop's private 
purse, until it was, perhaps, the prettiest and 
best equipped school building on the shores of 
Lake Michigan, when, soon after their arrival, 
it opened its door to the precocious children of 
the West. 

As Divine Providence would have it, nearly 
all the Chicago foundresses were possessed of 
much ingenuity and energy, with artistic tastes 
and abilities. These qualifications served them 
well in the days when they were wont to invent 
a great deal out of nothing. 

On parchment, which was sent to Reverend 
Mother in large supplies by her friends in Ire- 
land, the Sisters sketched maps of the different 
countries, with geographical plans of study and 
illustrations annexed, in a series adapted to the 
different grades of classes. These, when finished 
in water-colors, were not only artistic, but clear, 
instructive, and interesting to the mind of the 
child which drinks in the beautiful long before 
the undeveloped intellect can penetrate a fact. 

For globes they made sphere-frames of wil- 
low branches, over which they neatly fastened 
parchment, sketching distinctly the map-work 
of the hemispheres, and arranging thereon the 



Foundation of the Order in Chicago 141 

mechanism of the ordinary school globe. The 
blackboards were made of planed timber formed 
in squares, fastened to the wall and then painted 
in the old-fashioned way of producing black- 
board surface. 

The Sisters made their own numeral-frames 
on squares of delicate elm framework, with 
strings of wire stretched horizontally, on which 
were strung small spools painted in the primary 
colors. 

The community-room, with its rough board 
walls, was, during these days, a veritable ware- 
house of school supplies. In variety and design, 
to suit all wants, might be seen hand-made maps 
and charts, solar systems and globes, ball-frames 
and color plans; squares, cubes, cones, cylin- 
ders, and all the necessaries for teaching form; 
collections of minerals, sponges, coral, etc., and 
specimens of the vegetable kingdom for object 
lessons; cardboard, paints, brushes, mucilage, 
scrapbooks, and other school paraphernalia. 

This collection would, no doubt, be very rustic, 
if placed in comparison with the improved mod- 
ern apparatus for school use, but its utility was 
very far-reaching. 

It served its purpose for object-teaching, and 



142 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

that means much, in any age, for the develop- 
ment of the child intellect and the responsible 
task of training the perceptive powers of the 
little one. 

Among the pupils who flocked to the first 
schools opened in Chicago, were children of 
trappers, border-men, hardy settlers, and sea- 
faring men, with their unformed minds and 
guileless hearts ready to receive every impres- 
sion of goodness, beauty, and knowledge given 
by the religious, who were happy beyond meas- 
ure in their work. 

Even these children of tender years seemed to 
drink in the Western spirit of enterprise with 
every breath of the expansive prairie atmosphere, 
for their precocity and sturdiness were marked 
traits. 

Reverend Mother enjoyed the spontaneous vi- 
vacity of these bright, matter-of-fact youngsters, 
and often laughed till the tears ran down her 
cheeks, as she related droll stories of the unique 
originality which they evinced on all occasions, 
even in saying their prayers. 

She was much interested in the Indians whom 
she instructed ; and they returned at stated inter- 
vals to the " pale face mother " for medals, ros- 



Foundation of the Order in Chicago 143 

aries, and gospels, which she distributed freely 
to the delighted group, after explaining their 
use. 

On one occasion a little Indian girl appeared 
at the convent, asking to see the " Blackrobe 
Chief. 3 ' The portress tried in vain to understand 
her errand. She finally went to Reverend Mother 
in her dilemma. Mother Warde went to the 
parlor, saying to the Sister in her own simple 
fashion, so well remembered in her convents, 
" Ask the Holy Spirit to enlighten me to do 
some good for souls." 

When she entered the room the little one ran 
to her, clung to the ample folds of her habit, ex- 
claiming, " This is the good ' pale face mother ' ! 
She get the 'Blackrobe Chief! My 'fader' 
sick, sick, and he beg, beg, for 'Blackrobe/ to 
show him the kingdom of the Great Spirit." 
This was spoken by the child in a broken com- 
bination of English and Indian phrases, but 
Mother Warde understood what her errand was, 
and sent a messenger to the Bishop, who an- 
swered her summons at once. 

With the little girl at his side leading the way, 
His Lordship, true disciple of the meek and 
gentle Master, wended his way to the wigwam, 



144 R ev - Mother M. Xavier Warde 

where he found a dying Indian. He soothed 
and comforted him as best as he could, then 
went out, returning in a short time with an 
Indian who spoke English and acted as interpreter 
while the sick Indian made his confession to the 
Bishop. The last rites of the Church were ad- 
ministered to the poor " red man," and his desire 
of being fortified for his passage to eternity by 
the Holy Viaticum was satisfied. 

After being absent for some months, Mother 
Warde was recalled to Pittsburg, to the deep 
regret of her dear Chicago Sisters whom she 
was never to meet again until the blessed reunion 
in Heaven. The evening before her departure 
she gave them a parting exhortation, dwelling 
especially on the spirit of poverty, love of the 
poor, and the faithful practice of the small acts 
of virtue. She explained that the soul which 
possessed poverty of spirit would also be imbued 
with charity, — the Queen of the Virtues, — be- 
cause the truly poor in spirit have no ambitions, 
no personal interests., no opposite wills to clash. 
All these are buried in the Will of God. They 
employ wealth, talent, influence, success, to ad- 
vance God's greater honor and glory, but use 
them as if they possessed them not, and never to 



Foundation of the Order in Chicago 145 

gratify self-love. Here she told the story of St. 
Francis de Sales living in a sumptuous palace with 
luxurious rooms where he received visitors. A 
narrow, dingy apartment, divested of every form 
of comfort, he set aside for himself. Here he 
lived and prayed, wrote and studied. The beau- 
tiful drawing-rooms he called the " Bishop's/' the 
poverty-stricken apartment he named " Francis' 
quarters." She also quoted St. Charles Bor- 
romeo, who lived in a magnificent castle as Car- 
dinal Borromeo, but who had a poor, wretched 
room in the attic reserved for himself, where 
he slept on straw, and to which he withdrew to 
spend long hours in prayer and holy contem- 
plation. The richly furnished apartments he 
designated " the Cardinal's suite," the attic-room 
the " headquarters of Charles." 

The humble, every-day virtues, those fragrant 
little violets that bloom unseen in some shady 
nook and shed their odor at the foot of the cross, 
were held up by Reverend Mother as the precious 
adornments of the piety of religious women. 

" Our Blessed Master and Model," she would 
say, " has left us a proof of how he esteemed the 
small, hidden acts that are never tarnished by 
the applause of men, when He gave His first 



10 



146 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

lesson to Christians, saying, ' Learn of Me, 
because I am meek and humble of heart/ 

" ' The cup of cold water/ the kind word, the 
gentle look of sympathy, the patient bearing of 
annoyances from those with whom we come in 
contact, forbearance with defects of character; 
the suffering silently some trifling insult, some 
humiliation, some slight injustice; ceding our 
rights complacently to others, a soft reply to 
a harsh word, receiving gracefully and good- 
naturedly a refusal or a rebuke; an acknowledg- 
ment of small favors, a disregard of any want 
of due appreciation, looking for no return from 
any save God alone; and such unostentatious 
practices constitute true sanctity. They make 
piety agreeable and lovable. Persons who fail 
to practise these little virtues may repel others 
by their ungraciousness, or put them to incon- 
venience by their obtrusiveness." 

On a cold winter's morning, with the sleet 
and snow beating down from the heavens, after 
Mass and Holy Communion, leaving her spirit- 
ual daughters in tears at her departure, this brave 
Superior left Chicago on her homeward journey 
to Pittsburg, which with the dispensation and 
approval of Bishop Quarter and Bishop O'Connor, 



Foundation of the Order in Chicago 147 

she determined to make alone in order to save 
the other Sisters the terrible fatigue, inconven- 
ience, and exposure, such a journey entailed in 
those days. 

The lakes and rivers being frozen, she was 
obliged to make most of the trip over prairie 
and wilderness in a kind of stage-wagon full of 
rough-looking men. She was placed in a little 
apartment kept for the mail-bags, and here she 
remained for two days and two nights without 
food or drink, the Sisters, in their grief, having 
quite forgotten the small basket of refreshments 
prepared for her journey. 

In a muff which a kindly woman slipped into 
her hand, when she was entering the stage-coach, 
she placed her spiritual books. In her Office, 
prayer-book, New Testament, and Imitation of 
Christ, she found food for her soul, and courage 
for her weary, hungry body. 

The first part of the journey was made with 
horses; but in the wilderness the wagon was 
drawn by oxen through thick, black mud and 
quagmire, which flew up, bespattering the pas- 
sengers. Those who remember the dignified, 
religious Mother, always the perfection of neat- 
ness, can imagine her sufferings in this plight. 



148 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

By a supreme act of her iron will she never 
closed her eyes for one moment during these 
perilous nights and days. 

At night she listened to the heavy breathing 
of the slumbering passengers, and the screech of 
the prairie chicken, in the mysterious, terrible 
solitude surrounding her, while she said her 
rosary, or meditated on the loneliness of the 
Loving Master praying in the Garden of Olives, 
and crossing the brook Cedron to a continuance 
of His Passion. 

How she longed for the face of a religious 
companion in the stillness of that vast desert 
during those long, frosty nights of winter, as 
the silvery moon shed its pale light on the crisp, 
ashen prairie-land stretching to meet the dark 
horizon which bounded her view! 

Despite the awfulness of her situation, Rev- 
erend Mother noted all the wild splendor of this 
trackless region, and, in relating the story of her 
journey, was wont to dwell on the grandeur of 
the natural features of the forests and the plains. 

On the third day she reached Toledo, then a 
city with two thousand inhabitants, a respectable 
hotel, a bank, and many good buildings, but with- 
out streets, the different places in its precincts 



Foundation of the Order in Chicago 149 

being reached by foot-paths and wagon roads. 
It was the time of " Know-Nothingism " in the 
United States, and of necessity, religious were 
obliged to don the secular dress in travelling to 
escape observation. 

When Mother Warde entered the hotel at 
Toledo, the first one she met was none other than 
a large-hearted Irish woman, who immediately 
recognized her as a religious through the dis- 
guise of her secular garb. 

This poor servant-girl, full of the grand, old 
faith and piety so refreshing to come in contact 
with, stopped at no ordinary limit in the bestowal 
of kindness on our famished, travel-stained 
Mother. 

She hired a coach to bring her to Church on 
the next morning after her arrival. The wind 
was blowing fiercely and the drifting snow made 
hillocks around Reverend Mother as she stepped 
into the coach; but to Mass and the Sacraments 
she desired to go in the face of every difficulty. 
After going some distance the stage stopped, and 
as the author of the Annals adroitly puts it, 
" Neither bribes nor coaxing — and there never 
was a woman who could coax better than our 
Mother — could induce the driver to go farther." 



150 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

She walked the remainder of the way through 
blinding snow and high piled drifts until she 
reached the church. She heard the Holy Mass 
and received her Lord in the Blessed Eucharist, 
which filled her soul with such peace and holy joy 
as to cause her to forget every hardship. Father 
De Goesbriand, afterward Bishop of Burlington, 
Vt., happened to be the officiating priest. He 
recognized her as a religious, and invited her to 
his house near the church, where she received 
every mark of respect and kindness. 

She left Toledo in a " rickety " stage-coach, 
which " broke down " after going ten miles on 
the journey. The driver ordered every passenger, 
except the Reverend Mother, to vacate the stage. 
The men were obliged to carry logs from the 
wood near by to raise the wheels out of the rut. 
It took them two hours to extricate the stage 
from the mud, and two more to put it in running 
order. 

After many hours of cold, weary riding, they 
reached Sandusky City, then a bleak, desolate 
spot, without a sign to foreshadow the pros- 
perous city of to-day. 

Mother Warde would not venture into the 
hotel in Sandusky, but made use of a rough 



Foundation of the Order in Chicago 151 

basin filled with water from the watering-trough, 
to make her hasty toilet. She reseated herself 
in the stage and waited there until it started 
again, after a delay of several hours. During 
the night that followed their departure from 
Sandusky the stage was " swamped/' and the 
men were obliged to get two yoke of oxen from 
a farm-house to draw the stage-coach from the 
rut. 

The man who owned the oxen was very angry 
at leaving his bed to engage in such service, and 
cursed vehemently while he worked at releasing 
the stage. When all was clear once more, he 
said to Reverend Mother, " Lady, were you not 
afraid of being killed when your carriage fell ? ^ 
" No," she replied, " but when you wickedly pro- 
faned the Holy Name of God I feared some 
terrible punishment would come upon us all, on 
account of your profanity. See that you do not 
rouse the anger of God by such blasphemy again." 
When they had gone some distance farther they 
came to a steep hill above a deep ravine. Here 
an iron bar fell from the roof of the wagon on 
Reverend Mother's head, stunning her for the 
moment. The driver, intent on guiding the 
horses, while the men held back the coach to 



152 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

save it from falling into the ravine, heeded not 
Mother Warded accident, but explained after- 
ward, " Your life and mine depended on getting 
safely down that hill." 

They reached Brownsville toward evening, and 
Reverend Mother went on board the boat which 
set sail at midnight for Pittsburg, where she 
landed safely at an early hour next day. Through 
the darkness of a cold rainy morning in the 
midst of winter, she reached the convent. In 
the twinkling of an eye, the Sisters were gathered 
about her, removing her garments, saturated 
with water and mud. She was in a state of utter 
collapse. They put her to bed and gave her nour- 
ishment; but not even a drop of water would 
remain on her stomach. 

Dr. Addison was called, and found her in a 
serious condition. She remained in this critical 
state for nearly ten days, when she commenced 
to recover. 

This experience called for heroic bravery, and 
if God had not fortified her to be a pioneer of 
Christian Education, and a foundress of con- 
vents, in a missionary country, her weak woman's 
endurance would not have withstood its hard- 
ships, nor her womanly courage dared its dangers. 



Chapter XL 

'THE APOSTLE OF THE ALLEGHANIES." 
LORETTO. 

HIGH up in the Alleghanies, in Cambria 
County, Penn., some two hundred and 
fifty miles from Philadelphia, is a Catholic col- 
ony, purchased in 1803 by Father Gallitzin, 
the Prince-priest, and laid out by him in farms 
which he sold to emigrants for a trifle, or, 
more frequently, bestowed on them gratis. He 
erected saw-mills, grist-mills, and a little church 
for his people. He colonized this village with 
the sum of one hundred and fifty thousand dol- 
lars, and called it Loretto. This money was 
given him by his relatives in Russia, the King 
of Holland, and the Russian Ambassador at 
Washington (in lieu of the immense patrimony 
which he renounced to become a Roman Catholic 
and a priest). 

The " Apostle of the Alleghanies " was the son 
of a Russian ambassador of the princely family 



154 Rev - Mother M. Xavier Warde 

Gallitzin, whose members have made themselves 
famous as soldiers, statesmen, and authors. 

His mother was the daughter of Count Schmet- 
tau. She was born in Berlin, but it is probable 
that she met Prince Gallitzin at Aix la Chapelle, 
and in time became his wife. 

She was very attractive, and much famed for 
her literary ability. Her husband was the bosom 
friend of Voltaire and Diderot, as well as a 
staunch champion of their principles. The 
Countess, too, seems to have shared in the 
atheistic inclinations of her husband. 

We read of her being the centre of a group 
of authors — Goethe being one of those who 
enjoyed her charming hospitality and accom- 
plishments. In 1785, Hemsterhuys addressed 
to her his " Lettre sur l'atheisme." 

When her son was a lad of about fifteen., she 
became a Catholic, and by her edifying example 
attracted Count Frederic Stolberg to the Church. 

Demetrius Augustine became a Catholic in 
his seventeenth year, and later was made aide- 
de-camp to the Austrian General who com- 
manded the forces of that country at Brabant. 

The young prince, educated for the army, per- 
fect in every branch of secular learning and 



" The Apostle of the Alleghanies " 155 

courtly accomplishments, was, nevertheless, un- 
satisfied. Like St. Augustine, his heart craved 
something more than the splendor of courts or 
the luxurious pleasures of honor and affluence. 
" Thou hast made me 'for Thyself, O Lord, and 
my heart cannot rest till it rests in Thee ! " were 
the words from the writings of that wonderful 
protege of a mother's prayers, which became the 
"Quid prodest " of Demetrius; but, like the 
young man in the gospel, in heeding these whis- 
perings of Divine Grace, " he must leave all " to 
follow the Master. This meant much sacrifice. 
How could he leave lands, emoluments, and 
titles? So true it is, as has been prettily 
expressed in a poem familiar to nearly every 
Catholic : — 

" You may be near the Kingdom, nearer than any know, 
And Jesus may love axi&fiity, and yet, 
He may let you go." 

But none are let go who are faithful to the 
lights and graces given them. When the Good 
God permits us to turn away from Him, it is 
our own fault. We accept not His loving call. 
However, Prince Gallitzin was not one of the 
cowardly souls who fear the self-denial of being 
a disciple of the Perfect Master. 



156 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

He dashed aside all hesitating ponderings. 
He rushed to the front, in one great act of gen- 
erosity to God, leaving titles, estates, friends, 
and attendants ; sailed for America ; entered the 
Theological seminary of the Sulpicians, and be- 
came a priest of the Most High, being ordained 
by Bishop Carroll in 1795. 

He called himself " Father Smith " to disguise 
the nobility of his birth. He labored incessantly 
in attending to the spiritual necessities of the 
inhabitants of the colony he planted, and the 
extensive region surrounding it. 

His poor log-cabin home was ever open to the 
destitute and the wayfarer. 

Despite his indefatigable activity in his priestly 
ministrations, he found time to write several 
books. One of these, " Defence of Catholic 
Principles/' is yet in print. 

There is an account in Shea's History of the 
Church in the United States, of Bishop Egan, 
first Bishop of Philadelphia, making his visita- 
tion through Pennsylvania, being heartily wel- 
comed by Father Gallitzin at Loretto, where he 
confirmed one hundred and eighty-five children. 
We read from the same source that the Bishop 
was very ill in health, but " the good effected by 



fC The Apostle of the Alleghanies " 157 

the Prince-priest cheered him so, that on reaching 
Pittsburg he recovered speedily, not only from 
the fatigue, but from his illness/' 

When Father Gallitzin went to labor in this 
mountain region, he found twelve Catholics. 
When he died, in 1840, he left six thousand in 
Loretto, besides the large population of the 
mountain-sides and valleys outside the vicinity 
of the village. 

Three years after the death of this devoted 
priest who had so longed to plant an Order of 
religious teachers in his parish, Bishop O'Connor, 
in bringing the Sisters to Pittsburg, travelled 
over Prince Gallitzin's domain. 

Here he told Rev. Mother Warde of the in- 
structions he had received from Father Gallitzin, 
before his death, to bring Sisters to educate his 
dear little mountaineers; and, standing there on 
the summit of the Alleghanies, His Lordship ex- 
acted a promise from Reverend Mother to send, 
at her first opportunity, a branch of her pioneer 
community to labor in the colony of the Prince- 
priest. Her promise was fully redeemed in 
1848, when she founded a branch house at Lo- 
retto, and placed in charge the zealous Sister 
M. Catherine Wynne. 



158 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

Captain McGuire, the first white man who 
settled in Cambria County, gave Bishop Carroll 
four hundred acres of land, somewhere about 
the year 1790, for the use of the Church. On a 
part of this land the present convent stands " in 
the midst of spacious grounds set out with ever- 
greens," and surrounded by reminiscences of the 
" Apostle of the Alleghanies." Adjoining the 
convent grounds are the ruins of Father Gal- 
litzin's chapel, and the room where he wrote his 
works of controversy. Also the " wooden " 
church built by him, where Mother Warde and 
the first religious knelt to worship God, with 
their simple mountain children. 

Here, in the Sanctuary of the church, in 1893, 
was laid to rest the remains of Sylvester Warde, 
a promising young journalist, the grandson of 
Reverend Mother's dearly-loved brother John, 
whom we have referred to before as the com- 
panion of her childhood days. 

Mother Warde did much in organizing the 
Works of Mercy entailed by our Rule; but her 
greatest delight was in seeing her Sisters en- 
gaged in the education of youth. She considered 
this the most apostolical of all good works. 

" What work so Godlike/' she would repeat, 



Loretto 159 

u as the care of the development of these young 
intellects, and the cultivation of their pure hearts, 
by planting deep within them the germs of virtue 
and piety." 

Her warm, motherly heart went out to the 
little children, and wherever she appeared on 
the playgrounds she was surrounded by troops 
of the little ones, who loved her dearly, and 
whom she would pat on the cheek, or stroke 
on the hair, with a pleasant smile or caressing 
word for each. 

Her ideal of the religious teacher was high, 
and she required the Sisters to reach a high 
standard of excellence in the schoolroom. 

She impressed each Sister with the fact, that 
the teacher was the Angel of the children under 
her charge, the keeper of their innocent hearts, 
into which she must infuse a love for virtue and 
the practices of our holy religion, so as to guide 
them to their eternal home, — ever sowing the 
good seed that in so many cases seems to perish 
where it falls, but which will spring up some day, 
in the far-off future, to rejoice the Sacred Heart 
of the Divine Teacher. " Whosoever shall re- 
ceive one such child as this, in My Name, re- 
ceiveth Me," were the words of Our Lord to those 



160 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

who showed displeasure in beholding Him set 
so much importance on the " little ones," whom 
He took on His knee, and blessed and caressed, 
whilst the great and wise, the lords of creation, 
were forced to stand and wait. 

Reverend Mother insisted upon the Sisters 
cultivating a spirit of prayer and recollection. 
She often said, " If the religious teacher is not 
thoroughly imbued with a burning love of God, 
how can she cultivate virtue in the children ? " 

" One thing at a time, and everything per- 
formed in its own time," was her constant pre- 
cept. There was a period for study and a period 
for prayer. 

She would not allow one moment taken from 
the spiritual exercises, for the active duties; nor 
one moment from the time prescribed for active 
duties, for prayer. 

Extra preparations for class, or extra periods 
of devotion had to be put aside for the free time 
marked on the day's programme. 

At the present day, the Sisters of the Pitts- 
burg community teach over six thousand chil- 
dren, having under their charge some of the 
finest academies and free schools in the country. 
During the Civil War, Sisters of Mercy from 



Loretto 161 

Pittsburg, Chicago, and other localities went to 
the scene of bloodshed to care for the wounded 
and dying. They had charge of the Jefferson 
City, Stanton, and Douglas military hospitals. 

Bishop O'Connor remained the firm friend of 
Rev. Mother Warde and the convents she founded 
to the last day of his life. 

In i860, he resigned his well-appointed, Epis- 
copal See, and became a member of the Society 
of Jesus. 

His life as a Jesuit was as religious and un- 
assuming as might be expected from such a 
magnanimous servant of God. 

It is related that no one in the novitiate, ex- 
cept the Superior, knew he was a bishop before 
his entrance into the Order, until one morning, 
while saying Mass, he turned after the Gloria, 
and, to his own utter discomfiture, in a mo- 
ment of forgetfulness, said the " Pax vobis " 
of Bishops. 

The droll ones among the novices, who had 
found considerable matter for mirth on witness- 
ing the aged priest assume the same duties and 
mode of life as the other members of the no- 
vitiate (many of whom were scarcely grown 
from boyhood) felt somewhat abashed when 



1 6 2 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

they recognized that they had been exercising 
their wit on a Bishop. 

As a Jesuit, Bishop O'Connor came several 
times to Pittsburg, and on one occasion he vis- 
ited Manchester, much to the delight of Mother 
Warde and her community. 






Chapter XII. 

EARLY DAYS IN PROVIDENCE. 

DOCTOR TYLER, nephew of the cele- 
brated convert, Virgil Barber, was first 
Bishop of the diocese of Hartford, which, up 
to 1872, included Rhode Island and Connecticut. 

At the time of Bishop Tyler's consecration in 
1844, there were only six priests and ten thou- 
sand Catholics in the two States. 

Bishop Tyler died in June, 1849, an( * Rt. 
Rev. Bernard O'Reilly was consecrated second 
Bishop of Hartford in 1850. 

His first undertaking was to provide Catholic 
education for the youth of his diocese, and ac- 
cordingly negotiated with Bishop O'Connor for 
Sisters of Mercy to establish schools in Provi- 
dence. He stipulated that the religious chosen 
to take charge of this foundation should be a 
woman of prayer, tact, and good judgment, for 
bigotry was rife in Providence at that time, and 



164 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

it was expected that she and her community 
would be exposed to some degree of persecution. 

After much reflection and prayer, the Superiors 
decided that Mother Xavier Warde, who had ■ 
made so many foundations with remarkable wis- 
dom and success, should be appointed to establish 
the Order in New England. 

To her able and pious management in this 
field of labor may be attributed, with the blessing 
of God, the rooting out of prejudice, which had 
clouded the minds and misled the judgments of 
otherwise upright people. 

The Sisters who made the Providence founda- 
tion were Rev. Mother Xavier Warde, Sister M. 
Paula Lombard, Sister M. Camillus O'Neal, 
Sister M. Josephine Lombard, and Sister M. 
Joanna Fogarty. At the commencement of 
March, 1851, one evening at twilight, the little 
party, accompanied by the Very Rev. James 
O'Connor, in after years Bishop of Omaha, Neb., 
left St. Xavier' s to take the stage for Philadel- 
phia. Bishop O'Connor and all the Sisters, to- 
gether with the senior pupils, escorted them 
through the forest path, a fifteen minutes' walk, 
to the " turnpike road," where the stage-coach 
awaited them. It had been an old practice at 




The Rt. Rev. Bernard O'Reilly, D.D. 



Early Days in Providence 165 

St. Xavier's for the Sisters and older pupils to 
go to the "pike" (where the stage stopped) to 
meet Mother Warde when she came from Pitts- 
burg, and to accompany her to the same spot 
on her return. 

Never did this woodland path witness so 
mournful an outgoing from St. Xavier's. Many 
tears were shed by the Sisters and pupils, as well 
as by Reverend Mother and her zealous mission- 
ary band. After affectionate adieux, the stage 
started, and the Bishop, Sisters, and pupils re- 
turned to St. Xavier's in tears and silence. 

The foundation was made in Providence on 
March 12, the feast of the Translation of the 
relics of St. Francis Xavier. 

With this date may be associated the first 
appearance of the habit of the Sisters of Mercy 
in New England. 

The house in which they resided for a short 
time after their arrival was a little cottage on 
Weybosset (then High) Street. It was an ex- 
tremely poor abode, without any provision for 
comfort or convenience. The bare necessaries 
of life were all the community possessed, and yet 
there was not sufficient accommodation for all 
the candidates who applied for admission. Even 



1 66 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

before the August Retreat of 1851, the members 
numbered twenty. 

Only brave, prayerful women could cope with 
the trials awaiting the first Sisterhood in Provi- 
dence, but Mother Warde's unbounded confidence 
in the protection and blessing of Almighty God 
kept her cheerful and patient in the face of the 
most discouraging events. " We have seen her," 
wrote one of the old religious, " when the win- 
dows were all broken in the humble little cottage 
on High Street, from the intolerant attacks of 
the ' Know-Nothing ' element, appear perfectly 
calm and unruffled, as she said, in her rich, soft 
tones, which would raise the spirits of the most 
down-hearted, ' Oh, that is nothing at all, my 
child. Those persons have the best of motives, 
but their judgments are clouded from prejudice. 
All that will pass away, and a year hence, I am 
sure, our persecutors will have seen the folly of 
such actions, and as they learn the truth they will 
become very friendly. The majority of men 
desire to be just, if their minds are broad enough 
to discern the right/ " 

Reverend Mother's words proved true, for 
when the Sisters and their works became known, 
the same persons who had persecuted them 



Early Days in Providence 167 

proved their warmest, truest friends. Often, in 
later years, they laughed heartily over the un- 
reasonable ideas they had of religious before 
making their acquaintance. 

Bishop O'Reilly and his loyal clergy were 
untiring in their interest and kindness toward 
Mother Warde and her community, but on ac- 
count of existing circumstances they had to act 
with prudence in the introduction of religious 
education into a province where, a few years be- 
fore, the Ursulines had seen the convent demol- 
ished over their heads. 

During the summer of 1851, the Bishop 
bought from Mr. Stead a fine stone house at the 
corner of Broad and Claverick Streets. This 
was fitted up for a convent, while a frame house 
on an adjoining lot was remodelled for an Or- 
phans' Home. 

The Sisters removed to their new convent in 
October, and Reverend Mother commenced prep- 
arations at once for the opening of the orphan- 
age. Some free schools were already opened, 
and as her teaching staff increased, she opened 
more of these schools in different parts of the 
city, until there was ample provision made for 
the free Christian education of the Catholic chil- 
dren of Providence. 



i68 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

Her next step was to open an academy, which 
was successful beyond the most sanguine expec- 
tations; for Catholics and non-Catholics alike 
crowded to its portals, despite the bad feeling 
that existed against the " nuns/' which, however, 
thank God, disappeared in a very few years. 

No doubt the sudden change in popular senti- 
ment may be largely attributed to the non- 
Catholic pupils of this academy, who found the 
" nuns " teachers of superior refinement, intel- 
lectual, accomplished, and devoted to their pro- 
fession, desirous only of imparting a thorough 
education to the pupils under their care. 

These conclusions were transmitted by the 
pupils to their parents, who never regretted 
placing their daughters in the Academy, but 
on the contrary, were delighted with their prog- 
ress in study, good manners, and the social re- 
quirements of life. Thus through their children 
did the people discover the real condition of 
things, and become willing to accept the truth, 
when the barriers of prejudice were removed, — 
which, however, did not occur until after the 
attempted " Know-Nothing" attack of March 22> 
1855. This unpleasant event the Sisters desire 
to forget, and we only refer to it as an instance 



Early Days in Providence 169 

of Reverend Mother's wonderful self-control, 
and in order to pay tribute to the loyal-hearted 
Catholics, who proved themselves willing to de- 
fend the religious at the risk of their own lives. 

Mother Warde's quiet dignity and religious 
bearing throughout this incident had a control- 
ling power that might not have been attained 
by military force. Some days before the mob 
appeared, the Mayor of the city, Mr. Knowles, 
called on Reverend Mother, and requested her 
to depart with her religious from the city, as 
ten thousand " Know-Nothings " from different 
parts of New England were to arrive on a certain 
evening to demolish the convent. 

Reverend Mother, with a quiet air and gentle 
ease, made answer to this astounding threat: 
" Your honor, we have disregarded no duty, nor 
responsibility of good citizenship. As a body of 
religious women we are laboring here in our own 
sphere. Have we given any provocation for this 
interference? Will Christian men constitute a 
mob against unoffending women ? Are our rights 
as citizens not to be protected ? " 

The mayor replied that he could not control the 
uprising, and the only means of safety for the 
Sisters lay in flight. 



170 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

Mother Warde turned graciously to the per- 
plexed official, and, in dignified tones (with, per- 
haps, just the slightest flavor of gentle sarcasm), 
replied, " If I were Chief Executive of municipal 
affairs, I would know how to control the popu- 
lace." With her strength of character, and calm, 
honest purpose, she certainly could have ruled 
a kingdom, and did not understand the vacillat- 
ing attitude of the Mayor shirking the unpleasant 
performance of his duty. His Honor still urged 
the departure of the Sisters from Providence ; but 
Reverend Mother gently affirmed, " We will 
remain in our house, and, if needs be, die rather 
than fly from the field of duty wherein God has 
placed us." 

During this crisis of affairs, she seemed more 
calm and peaceful in her whole manner than ever 
before; so certain it is that "true virtue shows 
its mettle amid trials and contradictions." She 
spent long hours before the Blessed Sacrament, 
and from the King of kings she asked and 
received help in the day of trouble. 

On an eventful evening, shortly after the 
Mayor's interview, the mob surrounded the con- 
vent. As the rioters made their way up the 
street, the Catholic men of Providence, well 



Early Days in Providence 171 

armed, took up their places, rank and file, in the 
Sisters' garden. Perfect quiet reigned within 
the convent. The novices knew nothing of what 
was going on without. They enjoyed their 
evening recreation as usual, said their night 
prayers, and retired. The older Sisters remained 
on guard before the Blessed Sacrament. A few 
assisted Reverend Mother, who, with the utmost 
self-control, quietly made her way through the 
ranks of men within the convent enclosure, and 
exacted from each a promise that no fire-arm 
should be raised, nor offence given, unless they 
were called on to do so in self-defence. 

The rioters noted the calm dignity and self- 
composure of the revered Mother as they drew 
up in line before the convent ; and one was over- 
heard remarking to his colleagues on either side, 
" We made our plans without reckoning the 
odds we will have to contend with in the strong 
controlling force the presence of that nun com- 
mands. The only honorable course for us to 
follow is to retreat from this ill-conceived fray. 
I, for one, will not lift a hand to harm these 
ladies." But the mob hissed and hooted at these 
words, and threatened the Sisters with death 
if they did not leave their convent. At this 



172 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

juncture, the Bishop and Mr. Stead, the former 
owner of the convent, appeared on the front 
entrance. Mr. Stead, with the courage of a 
Spartan and the serenity of a saint, addressed the 
mob in the following words : " The first shot 
fired at this house will go through my body. Let 
me tell you there is a strong force of brave Irish- 
men, well armed, within the enclosure of the 
garden walls. If you dare to attack the convent 
or the religious, they will defend them with their 
hearts' blood." 

The Bishop then came forward, and said, in 
grave, clear tones, " My dear friends, in God's 
name, let not this city, nor the free institutions 
of this republic be tarnished by any dastardly 
uplifting of your arms against those who have 
wrought you no harm, but whose blameless lives 
are their sure defence before God and man. 
Depart in peace to your homes, and sully not 
your honor in act so vile." 

As the Bishop finished speaking, the mob 
withdrew in peaceful detachments, and thus 
ended this uprising of bigotry in that fair city 
which can boast to-day of some of the finest 
Catholic institutions in the country. Mother 
Warde was called to other fields of labor in after 



Early Days in Providence 173 

years, but she kept up a lively interest in Provi- 
dence, and loved the beautiful old town until 
her dying day. Catholics and non-Catholics 
have aided the Sisters to carry on their different 
works of Mercy for the welfare of humanity. 

It is related of the rioter who had the courage 
of his convictions, and spoke out with honesty, 
when he realized the wrong in his intended ac- 
tion, that he afterwards enlisted in the Civil War, 
and being wounded in battle was nursed by the 
Sisters of Mercy in Jefferson City Military Hos- 
pital. He made himself known to them, saying 
that on the night of the attempt to mob the con- 
vent in Providence, he was so impressed by Rev- 
erend Mother's religious bearing and unflinching 
loyalty to what she considered the duty God de- 
sired her to perform, and with Bishop O'Reilly's 
Christ-like spirit of forbearance in the peaceful 
words he uttered in the face of outrageous 
insult, that he resigned his occupation in Provi- 
dence on the following day, returned to his home 
in Salem, asked for instructions from a certain 
well-known priest, and was received into the 
Church. 

The stone house on Broad and Claverick 
Streets, dedicated to St. Francis Xavier, re- 



174 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

mained the Mother House of the Providence 
community until 1894, when one of the finest 
conventual buildings in Rhode Island was built 
on the site of the old convent. 

In 1855, the l ar ge brick building on Claverick 
Street was begun for the convenience of the 
Academy pupils. In one of her letters, at this 
time, Reverend Mother tells of a trip to New 
York in quest of teaching apparatus and help- 
ful books " to aid the Sisters in teaching well 
the different classes in the free schools and 
Academy." 

When the new building was finished, in 1856, 
Reverend Mother, with her perfect conception 
of the beautiful, had trailing vines trained on 
the walls of the garden side of the convent, and 
the grounds laid out in walks, and flower-beds 
so beautifully arranged that the convent garden 
was the admiration of the city. The cost of 
building the addition was met by the generous 
donations of the Bishop, clergy, and laity, to 
whom the Sisters of Mercy owe an endless debt 
of gratitude. 

Concerning this cherished Parent House of 
New England, which was the scene of Mother 
Warde' s patient labors, unremitting prayers, and 



X 




Early Days in Providence 175 

ardent zeal, we copy the following, written by an 
abler pen than ours, in the Golden Jubilee Sou- 
venir of St. Francis Xavier's Convent, Provi- 
dence : " A great deal of sentiment was expressed 
about this house (when it was 'torn down' in 
1894, to make room for the new building), which 
had been so long the heart of the community. It 
had been a handsome building in its day, and 
much of its dignity and beauty clung to it. Even 
in its old age there was a certain richness of 
finish about the windows, the ceilings, the fire- 
places, and the floors, which told the story of 
its having, originally, been the possession of a 
wealthy family. 

" The outer walls, roofs, and chimneys, on the 
side toward the garden, were almost buried in 
luxuriant vines. It was remarked more than 
once, that nowhere else in America was there a 
structure of more continental, even mediaeval 
appearance. This building was associated with 
a thousand hallowed memories, which are treas- 
ured up in hearts, both near and far. Little 
wonder is it that pieces of white stone were 
carried away as souvenirs, and that many visitors 
called to ask for a ' slip ' of the thick creeping 
vine they had learned to love." 



176 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

During the pioneer days, the folding doors 
of its double parlors were thrown open to accom- 
modate the crowds of young women who flocked 
to the convent on Sunday afternoons to listen to 
Mother Warde' s instructions. Thus she reached 
many persons employed in Providence, who had 
lived at a great distance from church or priest, 
and knew little of their holy religion. 

In December of 1855, Rt. Rev. Bishop O'Reilly 
sailed for Europe to negotiate concerning certain 
plans he entertained for the progress of Catho- 
licity in Rhode Island and Connecticut. 

In a letter to Bishop O'Connor, previous 
to the departure of Bishop O'Reilly, Reverend 
Mother mentions the opening of eight extra 
classes in the different free schools already es- 
tablished, and describes the numerous cases of 
visitation of the sick and instruction of adults, 
ending with an account of the little orphans, 
whom she pictures as " sweet, guileless babies, 
some five and six, and some a few years older, 
beautiful enough in soul and body to have come 
to us direct from Paradise." 

In February, 1856, Bishop O'Reilly embarked 
for the United States, but the ship in which he 
sailed was lost, and the Bishop and his party 
were never heard of again. 



Early Days in Providence 177 

Reverend Mother had opened missions in 
Hartford and New Haven in May of 1852. To 
these houses free schools were attached, and 
when the required accommodations were secured, 
one of the best academies in the country was 
established at Hartford. 

From her journal we quote the following, 
written on her return to Providence, after the 
visitation of these branch houses, May, 1856. 

11 My ardent desire to see Christ's little ones 
trained under the guidance of religious teachers 
is coming to pass to an extent far beyond 
what I ever dared to hope or wish. How true 
is the old proverb ! ' The first step is the only 
difficulty/ " 

And again we read, "When I offered myself 
to God and to my Superiors to help to spread 
the works of our Institute on the American mis- 
sion, I did not dream of the good to be done 
in educating the grand, sturdy, New England 
character." 

Receptions and Professions of large numbers 
of subjects took place every six months. The 
first of these ceremonies was held in the church 
of Saints Peter and Paul, in August of the open- 
ing year. The Rev. Father McElroy, S. J., a dis- 



12 



178 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

tinguished Jesuit who gave the ten days' retreat 
of that year, preached the sermon for " the 
clothing with the religious habit." 

Reverend Mother held the members of the 
Society of Jesus in very high esteem, and in 
the convents which she founded the majority 
of the semi-annual retreats are given by Jesuit 
Fathers. " In many respects," she used to say, 
" our spirit resembles the spirit of the Society, 
hence the Exercises of St. Ignatius make an 
excellent retreat for the Sisters of Mercy, whose 
duties embrace both the active and the contem- 
plative life." 

In the retreat of August, 1851, it would seem 
from Reverend Mother's journal that Father 
McElroy, S. J., laid special emphasis on the vir- 
tues of humility, charity, and self-denial, as the 
foundation of the religious life. Transcribed 
here are several of her notes : 

1 . " The tone of voice, and the whole bearing of a 
religious should be humble and subdued." 

2. " At recreation, a religious should be cheerful and 
joyous ; speaking clearly on entertaining, edifying sub- 
jects, because, that is the duty God asks her to perform 
at that time. At other times, she should observe the 
strictest silence and quietness of manner." 



Early Days in Providence 179 

3. "Meekness and prayer are 'the arms' of a good 
religious." 

4. " A religious should believe firmly that she has no 
rights, and therefore cannot be wronged." 

5. "It has been the experience of Superiors, that the 
brightest intellects, and noblest hearts are found among 
those who are always ready to be employed in lowly 
positions. In these offices, they can imitate more per- 
fectly Our Divine Model, ' Him who was beautiful above 
the Sons of Men ' in heart and mind as well as in His 
Sacred Person. He chose the unobserved service of the 
poor and unknown as His dearest work on earth. The 
Pharisees loved the high places, and sought the honor- 
able offices. The humble religious shrinks from being 
placed as on a candlestick, and only the voice of 
obedience can call her from the obscure and lowly 
employments." 

6. " The natural life must be left outside the convent- 
cloister. It were base for a spouse of Christ to lead 
other than a supernatural life. The faithful practise of 
humility, charity, obedience, and union with God is the 
safest road to sanctity. When the religious fails in the 
practise of these virtues, then her life may be said to be 
natural." 

On May 3, 1854, Mother Warde opened a 
convent and schools in Newport. She placed 
Sister M. Gertrude Bradley in charge. On ac- 
count of the opening of St. Joseph's School in 
Providence the January before the Newport 



180 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

schools were opened, she commenced the latter 
with only four Sisters. Later, when her teach- 
ing staff was increased at the Mother House, 
she supplied, the necessary number at Newport. 
In the Annals we read, " The convent was styled 
St. Marie's of the Isle, in memory of the ex- 
quisite convent of that title built on the Lee by 
Mother M. Josephine (Sarah Warde), sister to 
Rev. Mother Xavier. ,, 

Mrs. Goodloe Harper gave the convent and 
grounds in Newport. During the summers they 
spent at the "Rocks/' their picturesque cottage, 
Mrs. Goodloe and Miss Emily Harper were true 
benefactresses of the community. 

St. Mary's Convent has long since taken the 
place of the first inadequate building occupied 
by the Sisters. 



Chapter XIII. 



PROGRESS OF THE INSTITUTE IN NEW 
ENGLAND. 



REVEREND MOTHER instructed her re- 
ligious very frequently on giving unre- 
mitting attention to the acquirement of the 
supernatural spirit. " Let us study ourselves 
honestly before Our Divine Lord/' she would 
say, " and see if we have any ambition for high 
places or select classes. The poor are the especial 
friends of Jesus Christ, and should be the par- 
ticular charge of the Sisters of Mercy, as mercy 
cannot be practised on those who are living in 
affluence. There must be destitution either in 
the spiritual or temporal condition of a person 
before the true spirit of mercy can be exercised. 
" Charity may be practised on the rich, but 
mercy finds the object of its preference in the 
poor. Then let us do good to rich and poor, but 
always prefer the service of the destitute and 



1 82 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

suffering, as did Our Divine Master while here 
on earth." 

Egotism she considered a grave fault in the 
disposition of a religious; therefore, she in- 
structed her Sisters to guard against seeking 
adroitly for praise and appreciation in their 
work; of bringing themselves, their families, or 
the part taken by them in the performance of 
any duty, into notice. 

" These, and allusions to supposed abilities by 
a religious/' she would say, " are evidences of 
self-conceit. Those who are most deserving of 
praise never realize they have done anything 
more than their duty. Neither have they. We 
are doing the work of God, and doing it for Him 
alone; then would we not be the basest of the 
base if we did not use our best efforts to do our 
work well? Duty faithfully performed, without 
ostentation, for the love of God is the sure road 
to a high perfection." Here she was wont to 
repeat a theme of instruction which our vene- 
rated foundress often gave in the early days at 
Baggot Street : " ' How silently and brilliantly 
the lamp burns away before the Blessed Sacra- 
ment when the oil is pure! It is only when the 
oil is bad or adulterated that it burns noisily/ 



Progress of Institute in New England 183 

" It is so with us. When we are seeking per- 
fection, our days are consumed gently and quietly 
in the performance of lowliest deeds. But when 
we are hurried, noisy, desirous of l shining/ 
when we cleverly manoeuvre to obtain the ' first 
seats/ then we may be sure the oil of our charity 
is not perfectly pure." 

" O, striving soul, strive quietly : 
Whatever thou art, or dost ; 
Sweetest the strain when in the song 
The singer has been lost ; 
Truest the work, when 't is the deed, 
Not doer, counts for most." 

In 1857, Reverend Mother made a foundation 
at Rochester, New York, where God has blessed 
in a wonderful degree the works of the Institute. 
The courteous Bishop Timon of Buffalo met 
Reverend Mother and her party on the way to 
Rochester, and insisted on their remaining at 
Buffalo for two days. Mother Warde, with her 
sincere veneration for prelates and clergymen, 
accepted his kind hospitality. While in Buffalo 
Reverend Mother and the Sisters went with 
Bishop Timon and Father Lynch, afterwards 
Bishop of Toronto, to see the college just estab- 
lished by the Bishop at Niagara Falls. They 



184 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

crossed the Suspension Bridge to the Canadian 
side, and stood on the picturesque spot where 
Bishop Timon wished to erect a convent of 
Mercy. It was in a country place, and Reverend 
Mother's sagacious foresight discerned no oppor- 
tunity likely to present itself for a community of 
the Order to exercise its spirit in works of Mercy. 

A community of Loretto nuns from Dublin 
are established on this beautiful site. 

With the foundation of the convent in Roch- 
ester, Reverend Mother opened free schools and 
a select school. Visitation of the sick and other 
works of Mercy were commenced at once. With- 
in the year of 1857, Sisters went from Rochester 
to take charge of a school in Buffalo, at the 
request of Rev. Martin O'Connor, who proved 
himself in after years an earnest, devoted friend 
to the community. 

Batavia, Auburn, Charlotte, and seven other 
convents have been established from Rochester. 
One of the finest industrial schools in the country 
is conducted by the Sisters there, besides an in- 
stitution which receives and takes care of young 
children while their mothers are working in 
shops or factories. An employment bureau is 
attached to the Industrial School. 



Progress of Institute in New England 185 

The Hartford and New Haven branch houses 
were a great consolation to Rev. Mother Warde 
during her time in Providence, and long years 
after she had ceased her labors there, she loved 
to see the dear faces of the members of those 
communities who had borne loyally with her 
the " heat and burden " of the humble begin- 
nings in Rhode Island and Connecticut. 

Mother M. Paula Lombard was the first 
Superior of the Hartford House. The Sisters 
attribute to Father Brady their wonderful success 
in the schools. His proverbial devotion to the 
cause of education and his great love for little 
children have passed as a heritage to his worthy 
successors. 

From the first the Connecticut Sisters have 
spared no efforts in acquiring knowledge of the 
modern methods of teaching, and have secured 
for themselves the best educational advantages. 
Hence, their schools are fully " abreast of the 
times " in secular training, while the moral edu- 
cation is conscientiously given the first place in 
the curriculum of studies. 

Sister M. Camillus Byrne, the god-child of our 
foundress, was one of the zealous workers in 
the early days of the Hartford Convent, and 



1 86 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

Mother M. Pauline Maher was its second Su- 
perior. When the diocese was divided in 1872, 
and Providence became an independent See, 
Mother Pauline was made first Superior of the 
newly created Parent House at Hartford. 

In New Haven the progress of the works of 
Mercy planted by Mother Warde has been equal 
to that of her other foundations. 

The Sisters who teach in the parochial schools 
are paid by the Board of Education, as teachers 
of the same grades in the public schools. Thus 
do the Catholic taxpayers receive a just and 
equal share of the appropriation of public money 
for educational purposes, while exercising lib- 
erty of conscience in placing their children in 
schools where they will receive a thoroughly 
Christian training. 

The splendid institutions of the Sisters of 
Mercy in Connecticut owe their success, under 
God, to Mother M. Pauline Maher and Mother 
M. Angela Fitzgerald, both received and pro- 
fessed under Mother Warde in Providence. 
Their characters were opposites — Mother Paul- 
ine being gentle and retiring in disposition; 
while Mother Angela was impetuous, active, 
and full of ardor ; but they were true and trusted 



Progress of Institute in New England 187 

friends to each other, and firm admirers of our 
revered Mother. Her spirit continued to be 
transmitted by them to their communities, long 
years after she had removed from her great field 
of labor in Rhode Island and Connecticut to 
found the Institute in New Hampshire and 
Maine. 

We quote the following, as given in the 
Annals: 

" Mother Angela's executive ability was noticed by 
all who came in contact with her in business matters. 
Her mind was large and highly cultivated. In youth 
she was rather handsome, and at all periods of her life 
very dignified. For these qualities she was admired, 
but for the lovable traits of her fine character she was 
universally loved sooner or later, for like all positive 
persons the good Mother was often misunderstood and 
even blamed, when no cause for blame existed. 

" In her early career Mother Angela was full of exu- 
berant spirits, and was the life of the recreations. But, 
though cheerful to the end, years, sorrows, and physical 
pain subdued her high spirit, and sweet patience was 
the prevailing characteristic of her closing years." 

The Rev. Father McFarland was appointed 
successor to Bishop O'Reilly, and was conse- 
crated third Bishop of Hartford in 1858. While 



1 88 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

Rhode Island and Connecticut constituted one 
diocese, the Bishop resided in Providence. 

The Bishop-elect visited the convent on the 
eve of his consecration, thoroughly delighted at 
having the Sisters of Mercy well established in 
different parts of his diocese, laboring faithfully 
in the training of youth, and the other works of 
their Institute. 

The next day, after the consecration cere- 
monies were over, Bishop Bacon of Portland 
appealed to the newly made Bishop for a few 
Sisters of Mercy to aid the faithful pastor of 
Manchester, New Hampshire, in the education 
of the children under his care. 

Later, Father McDonald negotiated personally 
with Reverend Mother in the interests of his 
congregation. 

Mother Warde' s second term of office had ex- 
pired in 1857, but on account of the vacancy in 
the Episcopal See, the administrator of the dio- 
cese would not allow her to resign until after the 
consecration of the new Bishop. 

Bishop McFarland was consecrated May 14, 
1858, and Reverend Mother resigned her office 
six weeks after his consecration. Mother Jose- 
phine Lombard was chosen Superior for the 



Progress of Institute in New England 189 

next three years, with Reverend Mother as 
Assistant. 

In the latter part of May, Bishop Bacon visited 
the Providence community, and appealed strongly 
to Mother Warde to establish the Order in his 
diocese. He represented the children of the man- 
ufacturing towns as receiving only the intellect- 
ual part of education, while their moral training, 
so much more necessary, was utterly neglected, 
and their faith sadly endangered. Even with the 
Sunday School accessible to every child, yet, to 
develop sound Christians, he considered the day 
school taught by religious a necessity in every 
parish. 

Since true education means the perfect har- 
mony of physical, mental, and moral training, 
children, to grow up good Catholics, w 7 ith a 
correct knowledge of Divine truths and a desire 
to practise the requirements of a Christian life, 
must be educated in the religious school, where 
the moral and intellectual faculties are developed 
in unison. Moreover, the teacher, the surround- 
ings, and the atmosphere in the Catholic school 
tend to produce a series of impressions calculated 
to increase the development of the Divine idea 
in the conception of the child. He finished his 



190 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

appeal by saying, with St. Ignatius, " Soul and 
body are God's, and must be thought of in 
education." 

The community entered fully into Bishop 
Bacon's sentiments; but, as he had said to the 
Sisters, " Only the piety, the courage, the zeal, 
and the hardihood of a pioneer religious will 
ever be able to rough it in the establishment of 
Catholic schools in Maine and New Hampshire," 
the Superiors saw that the opening of the Man- 
chester House meant the sacrifice of Mother 
Warde. Bishop McFarland was not in favor of 
her leaving his diocese, and consented with great 
reluctance, as he himself declared. 

The Sisters were much more grieved over the 
new project than was the Bishop, for her going 
out from the Providence House would leave a 
community of lonely hearts. She was the first 
religious professed at the " cradle of the Order " 
in Baggot Street ; had received her training from 
Mother McAuley, who had both loved and 
trusted her; and by constant intercourse with 
the foundress, had acquired her strong spirit of 
piety and solid views of the religious life. In 
the dainty souvenir issued in honor of the golden 
jubilee of St. Francis Xavier's Convent of Mercy, 
we read the following: — 



Progress of Institute in New England 191 

" The Providence community had only been in ex- 
istence seven years, and it seemed to require the guiding 
hand of its leader; but Mother Warde felt the Divine 
impulse urging her to enter on new and untried labors, 
and she confided her dear young community to the care 
of the Sacred Heart and the protection of our Immacu- 
late Mother.' 1 

We see her, when the matter was brought 
under consultation by the Bishop and senior 
members of the community, approve of sending 
out the foundation, and if by obedience she were 
one of the number chosen, she would with God's 
grace make the sacrifice for His greater honor 
and glory. 

During Reverend Mother's residence in Provi- 
dence, she instructed sixty-three non-Catholics, 
who received the Sacrament of Baptism, and in 
nearly every case they continued to be fervent 
members of the Church. 

Her self-denying religious were her faithful 
auxiliaries in instructing, visiting the sick, and 
relieving the poor. Two and two they might be 
seen, when not employed in the schools, perform- 
ing with fervor and delight the meritorious duty 
of comforting the sick and dying. 

Reverend Mother spared no pains in making 



192 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

her subjects realize the meaning of the Rule in 
the words, " Let those whom Jesus Christ has 
graciously permitted to assist Him in the person 
of His suffering poor have their hearts animated 
with gratitude and love; and placing all their 
confidence in Him, ever keep His unwearied 
patience and humility present to their minds, en- 
deavoring to imitate Him more perfectly every 
day in humility, patience, and self-abnegation. 

" Thus shall they gain a crown of glory, and 
the great title of children of the Most High, 
which is assuredly promised to the merciful." 
And again, "The Sisters appointed by the Mother 
Superior to visit the sick shall prepare quickly; 
and when ready, shall visit the Blessed Sacra- 
ment, to offer to their Divine Master the action 
they are about to perform, and ask from Him 
the graces necessary to promote His glory and 
the salvation of souls." 

" Little Sister Camillus " Byrne, the god-child 
of the foundress, had a special love for visitation 
of the sick. During the short time she had the 
privilege of being with Reverend Mother, she 
accomplished a great amount of good by her 
hidden acts of charity, while visiting and con- 
soling the sick and dejected. 



Progress of Institute in New England 193 

We learn from the Annals that when Mary 
Teresa McAuley, the niece of the foundress, died 
in August, 1837, Sister Camillus took her place 
in the novitiate. 

On the feast of the Assumption, 1837, Mother 
McAuley wrote to Carlow, to Mother Warde: 
" Teresa Byrne has received the cap to-day to 
fill my dearest child's vacancy. She is delighted, 
and promises great things; may God give her 
the grace of holy perseverance." 

In 1854, she joined Reverend Mother in Prov- 
idence, and after faithful labors there and in 
New Haven, she was sent to assist Mother Cath- 
arine Wynne in Baltimore, where she spent 
twenty-nine years of earnest toil in God's service, 
before going to receive the crown of glory prom- 
ised by Our Lord to His faithful spouses. 

Mother Austin Carroll says, in commenting 
on her life, " Love for the poor was a passion 
with her. No matter how ungainly or even filthy 
a child might be, Sister Camillus would not re- 
pulse her ; on the contrary, the greater the moral 
or physical needs, the greater her zeal for those 
she was called upon to succor. But devotion to 
the sick was the grand feature of her life. For 
a quarter of a century she had charge of the 

13 



194 Re v. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

visitation of the sick in Poppleton Street. There 
was not an urchin in any lane or alley for miles 
around the convent, not a convict in the Peni- 
tentiary, or an outcast in the House of Correction, 
who did not know Sister Camillus. Her ability 
for imparting catechetical instruction was unsur- 
passed. She possessed a peculiar talent for re- 
claiming by her sympathy and her zealous words 
the most abandoned sinners. The number of 
lives reformed through her instrumentality, of 
conversions effected by her zeal, and of souls led 
to embrace the truth by her instructions are 
known only to God. In the sick room, her sym- 
pathetic manner and interest in every detail of 
the patient's trouble, and her impressive manner 
of saying the prayers, made her visits a consola- 
tion to the poor sufferers." 

In Providence Mother Warde seconded Sister 
Camillus with advice, means, and help to do all 
the good possible in her much-loved duty of 
caring for the sick and disconsolate. Reverend 
Mother's note-books of touching examples, sto- 
ries, and sacred verse were always at the disposal 
of Sister Camillus, and her tactful way of using 
them comforted many a despondent soul in her 
daily rounds of visitation. 



Progress of Institute in New England 195 

A story is told of a sick-call that came to the 
convent on one occasion, and Sister Camillus, 
with her companion, answered the summons. 
The Sisters were directed to a neat cottage in the 
suburbs of the city, and there, in a small apart- 
ment, not more than twelve feet square, furnished 
with artistic taste, and arranged with exquisite 
tidiness, lay a young woman suffering from a 
lingering disease. Her golden hair clustered in 
wavy masses about a finely formed head. Her 
eyes were of a soft, dark gray, with an expression 
of beauty that is rarely seen. A faint flush was 
visible on both cheeks, while the sadness that 
rested like a pall on her lovely countenance was 
pitiable to behold. 

Her manners were sweet and grave ; but when 
the name of God was mentioned she broke forth 
into the most depressing murmurings against 
His Divine Goodness. It took some days to 
fathom the cause of this state of affairs, which 
was occasioned by her want of resignation to her 
sickness, since the doctors had pronounced her 
disease incurable, and possibly fatal at the end 
of a few months. 

She was a non-Catholic, but some time before 
she became ill had accompanied a pupil of the 



196 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

Academy in making a call at the convent. While 
there, she had met Reverend Mother, and was 
much impressed by her religious manner, and in 
the hour of sorrow it occurred to her that she 
could find some solace in speaking with the 
Sisters. 

The family had been wealthy, but reverses and 
the death of both parents had left this delicate 
girl and an only sister alone in a palatial dwelling 
in the city. The mansion was seized by creditors, 
and the amount it netted at public auction was 
only a fraction of the liabilities. Thus were 
the two young women forced to rent the small 
cottage they now occupied. By her works of 
art the elder sister was supporting both; but as 
the younger one grew daily weaker and weaker, 
the artist was forced to lay aside the brush, and 
remain at her sister's side. Little by little the 
nuns comforted her, and drew from her the 
reason of her dejection and imprecations against 
the decrees of the Good God. 

It was the old story of a lover, with inviting 
prospects, — wealth and honors to be hers, at a 
time already arranged, when sickness came upon 
her. The sacrifice proved too great for her to 
make for Him " who gives and takes " as He sees 
best. 



Progress of Institute in New England 197 

No word that the Sisters could say, nor any 
prayer offered, seemed to soften or persuade her 
that Our Merciful Father in Heaven was not 
unjust in demanding from her the sacrifice of a 
life so full of hope and happiness. Yet she loved 
to listen to Sister Camillus as she read for her 
beautiful examples of a religious character and 
sacred poems which Mother Warde had inscribed 
in note-books for different purposes. In her 
most disconsolate moments the reading seemed 
to give her quiet of soul. One day, while Rev- 
erend Mother perused her notes for reading 
matter for Sister Camillus, she happened on some 
lines which she had copied from a book given 
her by a Scotch lady of note visiting Dublin, a 
short time before Mother Warde joined Mother 
McAuley. She handed the poem to Sister Ca- 
millus, saying: "If these lines make the same 
impression on your unhappy invalid they once 
made on a sinner I know, with the help of God's 
grace she will be converted unto the One Eternal 
Friend ever ready to comfort the weary and 
heavy-burdened. ,, 

When Sister Camillus read it over, she ex- 
claimed : " Reverend Mother, you must come 
with me and read this yourself for our poor suf- 



198 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

ferer, and I will pray, oh, so fervently, all the 
time; surely the Good God will touch her heart! " 

The two set out, and found the sick girl more 
despondent than ever before. After some cheery 
words and consoling instruction, Reverend 
Mother read with much feeling, while Sister 
Camillus prayed with untold earnestness in the 
secret depths of her heart. 

The lines ran thus : — 

u One heart grows not weary, but waits uncomplaining 
Whilst thou art forgetful, and wayward, and cold ; 
It welcomes thee back, and thy sorrow restraining, 
Gives love in full measure, and trusts as of old. 
One friend in adversity turns from thee, never ; 
He stays by thy side when the faithless have fled ; 
His love is the only love lasting forever ; 
His hand, o'er thy pathway, all blessings has spread. 
One friend loves thee truly in sickness and sadness, 
Nor tires at thy murmurs, nor scoffs at thy pain ; 
Is constant in gloom, and partakes of thy gladness, 
Oh, say, can such love all be lavished in vain ? 
Why cling for a moment to love that must perish 
In death if it fails thee not sadly before ? 
Why slight the true Friend, Who forever will cherish, 
Who loves thee, and, loving, must love evermore ? 
Arise from thy fatal delusion and scatter 
The dream that enticed thee : thy idols cast down, — 
Nor spare the sweet smile that a moment could flatter, 
Then faded away at a shadow or frown. 
Arise, for thy life star is quickly declining, 
Death's valley is dreary • a friend must be nigh ; 



Progress of Institute in New England 199 

To whom thy weak soul all its burden consigning, 

May cling till the fear and the danger go by. 

That Friend, and that Lover, so faithful ; so tender ; 

Is He with the opened heart, Saviour and God ; 

He, Who forsaking Heaven's glory and splendor, 

Once for thee, sinner, this dreary earth trod. 

Lie at His feet, they were wounded and bleeding ; 

Give Him thy Love, though 'tis worthless at best; 

Ask by the Heart still so patiently pleading, 

For pardon and pity, contrition and rest. 

Lavish the love so foolishly wasted, 

Love can restore thee, thy place in His Heart 

Drink of the sweetness none ever yet tasted, 

And found that earth's pleasures such bliss could impart. 

Love Him alone ! He is jealous, though tender; 

None may compete in the heart where He reigns ; 

All that thou hast, thou must freely surrender, 

And bind thyself captive in Love's golden chains." 



The young sufferer could resist no longer the 
attractions of Divine Grace. She repented of her 
rash opposition to the wise decrees of God, and 
repeated the Lord's Prayer with the Sisters. 
She then asked for a crucifix that she might keep 
the thought of Our Suffering Saviour before 
her mind. 

When the Sisters returned next day they found 
her full of contrition for her sins, and possessed 
of an intense longing to be united to God. She 
begged to see a priest that she might be received 



200 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

into the one true fold of which Christ is the 
Shepherd. 

Her request was granted; she was instructed 
and baptized, and during the few months of her 
sojourn on earth, despite the most excruciating 
pains, she kept her heart raised prayerfully to 
the tender Father in Heaven Who counts every 
act of suffering borne with resignation for His 
sake. 

The Sisters continued their blessed task with 
grateful hearts, praising God while they com- 
forted, and encouraged her to beg from the Holy 
Spirit an intense love and confidence in God. 
When she died every one felt that she had ex- 
changed her bed of pain for the bliss and joy 
of Paradise. 



Chapter XIV. 

IN THE "GRANITE STATE." 

IN the Annals of the Order it is written: 
" New Hampshire, the Switzerland of Amer- 
ica, is a grandly beautiful region full of pictur- 
esque streams, tall mountains, and dreamy lakes, 
and attracts more tourists than any other part 
of America except Niagara. But I pass by its 
stern, rugged scenery to write of a man whose 
titles to our admiration are chiefly of the super- 
natural order. To me the finest landscape is a 
painted picture, unless a human being enliven it. 
Faith tells of a beautiful, immortal soul impris- 
oned in a form gaunt and shrunken, and a prayer 
that we may meet in Heaven surges up in my 
heart. In the twinkling of an eye the landscape 
is made alive for me, and stretches from the 
lower world to the better and brighter land above. 
Father McDonald was for forty-one years the 
light of a manufacturing town; and when I 
think of its looms, and spindles, and fire-engines, 



202 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

and forests of tall, red chimneys, and tens of 
thousands of operatives, Father McDonald is the 
figure that illumines for me this enterprising, 
imposing spectacle, and casts over it all a halo 
of the supernatural. Little cared he for the 
sparkling rivers, or bewitching lakes, or romantic 
mountains of the ' Granite State.' His whole 
interest centred in souls." 

It was this pioneer of Religion in New 
Hampshire and of Catholic Education in New 
England who brought the first Sisters of Mercy 
to Manchester. 

On the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, 
July 1 6, 1858, before taking the train from Provi- 
dence, the foundresses received Holy Communion 
at the Mass said by Bishop McFarland, in the 
Convent Chapel, to invoke God's blessing on the 
undertaking. 

Thus, with the Divine benediction resting upon 
them, amid the fervent prayers and sad adieux 
of Superiors and Sisters, Mother Warde and her 
little band of missionaries left Providence for 
Manchester, accompanied by Father Sheridan, 
whom the Bishop had sent to escort them to their 
new home, and bring him back tidings of their 
prospects for doing good. 




The Rev. Fr. McDonald. 



In the " Granite State " 203 

During their journey the Sisters " told their 
beads," begging our Lady of Mercy to obtain 
for their project the All-powerful aid and pro- 
tection of her Divine Son. They also invoked 
the guardian angels of the Pastor and people 
of Manchester to plead before the Throne of the 
Most High that the Holy Spirit would enlighten, 
strengthen, and bless them in their exercise of 
the works of Mercy in such a manner as to give 
the greatest amount of honor and glory to God. 

Father McDonald and the Very Rev. John 
O'Donnell met them at Nashua, and greeted 
them with paternal kindness. At the depot in 
Manchester the people flocked to welcome these 
first religious who had attempted to take up their 
abode in the " Granite State." Only a few years 
before, in July, 1854, the Know-Nothings had 
driven the Catholics from their homes, dragged 
the sick from their beds into the streets, destroyed 
the furniture, and then proceeded to break the 
stained glass windows in St. Anne's church, 
which was nearly completed at that time. 

Father McDonald, by his peace-making spirit 
and wise executive ability, kept his people from 
retaliating. Subsequently good order and friend- 
liness gradually grew out of the chaos caused by 



204 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

angry excitement, as the spirit of prejudice ex- 
hausted itself. When persecution, resulting from 
bigotry, was at its height, Father McDonald had 
called a meeting of the parishioners to confer 
with them regarding the advisability of estab- 
lishing a convent in Manchester, that the chil- 
dren might receive a Christian education. " For 
the first and last time " his people opposed him, 
saying it would be useless to attempt to introduce 
a religious Order. A convent would never be 
tolerated in the city. But the far-sighted priest 
could penetrate into the future better than his 
loyal people. He realized the difficulty at the 
beginning of such an establishment, but he was 
a firm believer in the good-will and right in- 
tentions of the non-Catholic residents of Man- 
chester. He knew they would be among the first 
to appreciate and support the efforts of the Sis- 
ters of Mercy in their labors for the common wel- 
fare of mankind, once they understood the daily 
life of the religious, and learned for themselves 
that their impressions of nuns were untrue and 
unfair, because based on passions and ill-will re- 
sulting from prejudice. He knew also that the 
Sisters in their dealings with non-Catholics in 
the academies and elsewhere would, with tact 



In the " Granite State " 205 

and discretion, cement the cause of peace and 
Christian concord more effectively than could be 
done by any other agency. 

He built his convent. True, an attempt was 
made to demolish it. This did not daunt the 
courageous priest. He went on with his under- 
taking, but the church and convent were guarded 
every night lest they might be destroyed. 

On their arrival the Sisters were escorted to 
Father McDonald's residence, where they partook 
of refreshments after their journey. He then 
showed them the church. Here they thanked 
God for their safe arrival, and implored His 
blessing on this new foundation of the Institute. 

Reverend Mother's devotion to the Blessed 
Sacrament was intense; her love for the Holy 
Spouse of her soul hidden in the Tabernacle was 
real and personal. In Father McDonald she met 
a kindred spirit in this fervent attachment to 
the Divine Prisoner of Love. When their 
prayers were ended, he showed the Sisters 
through his beautiful new church, then one of 
the finest in New England. Such an edifice, 
dedicated to the worship of God in those pioneer 
days, was a striking proof that " a generation 
stalwart " in the faith could prosper, and accom- 



206 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

plish much for the glory of God and the sal- 
vation of their own souls, even amid opposition 
and trying circumstances. 

As they paused to admire the artistic altars 
and neat, spacious sanctuary, this saintly man 
of God declared : " No hand but mine ever 
attended to the care of these altars. I myself 
have cared for the cleanliness of everything 
approaching the Most Holy Sacrament. No 
secular ever entered the sanctuary railings, even 
to sweep." Turning to Reverend Mother, he 
said, " Now I resign this sacred charge to you, 
as my priestly duties have become too numerous 
and too arduous to give the necessary time to 
this angelic office.' ' 

Then he led them, as is recorded in the Annals, 
to " a large, handsome building in the Grecian 
style of architecture, built for God, with every 
brick sanctified by the prayers of a man univer- 
sally esteemed a saint. The ground on which 
it stood had been watered by his tears. He had 
wrought on it with his own hands, guarded it 
by day ; and at night when the city slept, he was 
the watchman on its towers." 

Once inside the convent walls, preparations 
were commenced for the coming of Our Lord 



In the " Granite State " 207 

in the Blessed Sacrament. Before nightfall the 
convent was blessed by Father McDonald, and 
the Divine Guest dwelling on the Altar of the 
devotional little chapel. The convent was placed 
under the protection of Our Blessed Lady, with 
the title " Mount St. Mary's," owing to the ele- 
vation of ground whereon it was built. 

When the Blessed Sacrament was deposited 
in the Tabernacle, two of the u lambs " of the 
flock came as delegates from the young people of 
the town, with a greeting of welcome, and a box 
of silver coins, that the nuns might purchase any 
furnishings necessary for the convent. 

Thus, on the day of the Sisters' arrival in New 
Hampshire, the faithful Catholics commenced 
their kind offices of religious loyalty and gen- 
erosity toward them, which, instead of abating 
with time, have grown through the years of well- 
nigh half a century, since the members of the 
Order of Mercy commenced their labors in this 
fruitful portion of God's vineyard. The older 
people followed with gifts and good wishes, all 
anxious to show their devotion to religion by 
the encouragement and support they rendered 
to the nuns, whom their faithful pastor had 
invited to his parish to aid him in his zealous 



2o8 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

labors of instructing and training the youth of 
his congregation, who were, until the latest day 
of his life, his special solicitude and just pride. 

The next morning after the arrival of the 
Sisters, Father McDonald celebrated the first 
Holy Mass offered in Mount St. Mary's Chapel. 
On this morning also, Mother Warde gave the 
first instructions given in the community-room 
of her new foundation, to the religious assembled 
for spiritual lecture. 

From notes preserved, we give our readers the 
substance of her words : " The good religious 
is faithful in the practice of fervent exactitude 
about the time allotted for prayer, meditation, 
reading, and all the prescribed spiritual exer- 
cises. Those who are most fervent with regard 
to acquiring a spirit of recollection and prayer 
are also the earnest workers in whatever position 
they are placed. They realize that there is no 
duty of small importance in a religious com- 
munity, because every one is working for God, 
and every effort must be used to do God's Work 
in the most perfect manner possible." She 
dwelt on the faithful making of the morning 
meditation, and the practice of fidelity to the 
inspirations of grace. She reminded her com- 



In the " Granite State " 209 

munity that the Divine Voice often speaks to 
the heart of a religious, when her soul is im- 
mersed in contemplation, telling her what she 
must do to please most perfectly the Heavenly 
Bridegroom. The Divine monition is given in 
lowest, softest whisper, and if the soul be tepid 
and careless in making her meditation, she be- 
comes distracted, and the noise and bustle of 
worldly cares, chasing each other in heart and 
brain, will drown the gentle whispering of heav- 
enly inspirations. Sometimes she will be re- 
minded by the heavenly monitor to overcome 
some fault of self-love, or, perhaps, to sacrifice 
love of ease and comfort. Again, will small 
acts of kindness, humility, charity, and gentle- 
ness be suggested by the Holy Spirit as the office 
which the Divine Lover wishes His spouse to 
perform for Him in secret, far removed from 
the noise of human applause; so unobtrusively 
as to be unnoticed and unknown to any save the 
All-seeing eye of the Divine Master. 

She spoke emphatically of overcoming in the 
disposition anything that savored of sadness. 
" Since God loves a cheerful giver," she re- 
peated, " let us try to be cheerful workers, taking 
nothing away from the glory of His blessed ser- 

14 



210 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

vice by half-heartedness in the discharge of our 
duties. We must be steeped in holy joy and 
eagerness to imitate our Divine Model in per- 
forming the lowly offices of labor and prayer; 
of teaching and instructing; of consoling the 
sick, the sinful, and the sorrowful. And how 
gentle, long-suffering, and patient it behooves us 
to be toward the orphan in the asylum, the child 
in the schoolroom, the sick on a bed of pain, 
the bruised hearts who come to lighten their 
burden, or the storm-tossed soul, weak and 
tempted, craving the peace and forgiveness of 
an offended, but Merciful God! 

" On these occasions, let us ask ourselves, how 
would the Loving Master deal with such calls 
on charity, zeal, and patience ? " 

11 He Who never made a brow look dark, 
Nor caused a tear, save when He died." 

Bishop Bacon had intended to meet Reverend 
Mother and her community to welcome them to 
his diocese, but illness rendered him unable to 
carry out his plan of being in Manchester on the 
1 6th of July. 

Two weeks later, he addressed to her the 
following letter: — 



In the " Granite State " 211 

"Portland, Maine, July 30, 1858. 

M My Dear Child : — Hearing that you and your 
little colony would probably come to my diocese toward 
the middle of this month, I had made my arrangements 
to be free about the time of your arrival ; but sickness 
obliged me to defer my engagements, so that at the 
present moment, when I would wish to greet you in 
person, I am denied that pleasure. But I hope to be 
able to welcome you in words before the end of next 
month. 

" I returned from the extreme East yesterday, and must 
go back again to-night ; my presence is expected, and 
is necessary in many places. 

" You may be assured, however, that I bless a kind 
Providence Who has sent you and yours to aid me in 
my laborious mission, and that I shall spare no pains 
on my part to protect and assist your pious Institute in 
the different works of Mercy which it shall undertake. 
You may have your struggles at the commencement, 
but patience and perseverance will carry you through ; 
and the day will come when your community will be 
numerous and prosperous, and when you will have 
houses in every section of the States of Maine and New 
Hampshire. 

<l Nothing shall be left undone by me, to make true 
the promise of the pious prelate of Hartford, that I 
would be to you a kind father and friend. I desire to 
be such to all under my charge, but more especially 
to those who labor with me for the welfare of my 
children. 



212 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

" Please present my affectionate regards to your spirit- 
ual daughters, and receive for yourself, as well as for 
them, my benediction. 

" Believe me, Yours Sincerely in Xto, 
David Wm. Bacon, 

Bishop of Portland. 

Sister Veronica Dillon, the postulant who 
accompanied Sister M. Rose Davis from Prov- 
idence, two weeks after the Sisters were estab- 
lished in Manchester, was the first novice to 
receive the white veil in New Hampshire, and 
Sister M. Agatha, who came, a white novice, 
from Providence with the foundation, was the 
first to pronounce her vows of Holy Profession. 

In August of the opening year, two ladies — 
a Baptist and a Universalist — came to the con- 
vent to be instructed in the Catholic faith. They 
were the first converts. Both reared large Cath- 
olic families. They gained the respect of every 
one who knew them for their steadfast integrity, 
industry, and good example. Since then there 
has never been a time when five or six (some- 
times more) non-Catholics have not been receiv- 
ing instructions at Mount St. Mary's. Hundreds 
have been baptized, and have brought other hun- 
dreds to the true faith by their edifying lives. 



In the " Granite State " 213 

Reverend Mother never gave up her intense 
interest in converts until her dying day. When 
age, care, and a self-denying life had weakened 
her body so that she could scarcely walk, she 
managed to go, assisted by a religious on either 
side, to her devotions and spiritual exercises in 
the chapel, and to her loved duty of instructing 
converts. 

Mother Gonzaga, who came with her to Man- 
chester from Providence, was her faithful helper 
in this great work of zeal and charity ; and when 
Mother Warde was no longer able to attend to 
this cherished duty, Mother Gonzaga took up 
the good work and continued it. Besides her 
labors of visitation and instructing, she has 
been the organizer of numerous Sodalities in 
the city. 

During the early years, large evening classes 
of adult Catholics were instructed at the con- 
vent. Many an hour Reverend Mother and her 
religious spent at this blessed work, and many 
a time did she remind her zealous nuns that 
" those who instruct others unto justice shall 
shine as stars for all eternity." 

For the working children in the manufactories 
Mother Warde established night-schools, where 



214 R ev - Mother M. Xavier Warde 

the Sisters imparted instruction, religious and 
secular, to those dear children of toil. 

In these schools the children were taught to 
read intelligently, to write, and to acquire a 
knowledge of numbers as far as would be of 
practical use in after life. Exercises in speak- 
ing and writing correct English were given an 
important place in the list of studies for the 
Evening classes. " The immortal ethics of the 
Ten Commandments " were made a study of 
prime importance, in accordance with the teach- 
ing of the Holy Ghost : " Fear God, and keep 
His Commandments. . . ." " Charity is the 
great commandment, — the one which contains 
all the others/' — and " Holy fear is the needle 
which draws after it the golden thread of 
Charity." 

" It is good for a man when he hath borne 
the yoke of the Lord from his youth." 

" My child, give me thy youth, and I will 
guard thy old age." 

Extensive free schools were opened for the 
girls in September of 1858. The classes were 
over-crowded, as every Catholic girl attending 
school in Manchester was to be found in the 
Sisters' schools. 



In the " Granite State " 215 

Mother Warde established Mount St. Mary's 
Academy in the autumn of 1858. The pupils 
were accommodated in the convent. The north- 
ern half of the building was set aside for class- 
rooms, music-rooms, and dormitories for the 
pupils. This school soon became an educational 
institution of note. Reverend Mother advertised 
the boarding school in the Boston Pilot and 
Boston Journal. This brought many promising 
pupils to the Academy. In the Annals it is 
noted that, " Among the first to notice the ad- 
vertisement was Colonel P of New York, 

who was staying at the Parker House. Without 
reverting to what he did, he cut it out. A few 
days later he visited his ward, a girl of sixteen, 
under the protection of an uncle, a Presbyterian 
minister. She was anxious to finish her educa- 
tion at a fashionable academy. While speaking 
on the subject her guardian drew from his pocket 
the advertisement of Mount St. Mary's, Man- 
chester, N. H. She read it and said : ' That 
is the school I shall go to, and no other. 9 " 

By dint of her strong will, to Mount St. Mary's 
she came, in spite of the gentle persuasion of her 
aunt, the minister's wife, and the more sturdy 
opposition of her uncle. 



216 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

The parents of this young lady, Harriet Stanley 
Dix, died when she was but a child. She had 
never been baptized, and could not be prevailed 
on to join any church. Her ambition was to 
" shine " in fashionable society. Before this 
time (1863) she had been introduced at the 
White House, and was esteemed very highly 
by President Lincoln, on account of her natural 
uprightness and strength of character. She was 
a handsome girl, and possessed a charming per- 
sonality, but was thoroughly simple and artless. 

She had a natural taste for study, and made 
use of every moment to fit herself for travel on 
the Continent. About two years after her ad- 
mission to the Academy, one of her teachers, a 
religious of great exactitude of life, died. Miss 
Harriet entered the chapel to view her remains. 
Gazing on the features of this good nun, still 
in death, the truth of the words : " All is vanity 
but to love God and to serve Him alone," and, 
" What doth it profit a man to gain the whole 
world and lose his own soul," dawned vividly 
on her mind. God's grace touched her heart, 
and in the Presence of Our Divine Lord in the 
Blessed Sacrament, she prayed for light and 
strength to do His holy Will. On returning 



In the " Granite State " 217 

from the chapel, she hastened to Reverend 
Mother, begging to be instructed in the doc- 
trines of the Catholic Church. Reverend Mother 
declined to do so unless the step met the approval 

of Colonel P , the guardian of Miss Dix. 

Miss Harriet wrote at once for his consent, 
and Colonel P ? s reply to her request. is in- 
serted here, as given in the Annals of the Order. 

" New York, March 13, 1865. 

" My Darling Child : — I hardly know how I feel 
about your Roman Catholic convictions, looking at it 
from a merely worldly and selfish point of view. But 
when I remember how my heart and hope and prayer 
for you have always been burningly eager that you might 
become a truly heavenly-minded person, I simply say to 
myself : * Well this is God's Work and it must be right. 1 

" What seems to have most affected your mind is the 
death of the Convent Sister, and death is God's best 
lesson and teacher. I don't know whether it is best 
for you to join the Catholic Church. I can only pray 
that God, Who has begun your spiritual schooling, 
will complete the work, as seemeth to Him good. I 
only know this, that not all the felicity of earth would 
make me so happy as to know that you are steadily tend- 
ing upward toward the pure, sweet heaven, where my 
mother is. You know you always reminded me of her. 
She was angelic in character and in love for me, her 
son. She died divinely happy. 



218 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

" If you really feel deeply in your very soul that the 
Catholic religion is the only true one, and realize how 
trivial and little life is, and how magnificent and un- 
limited eternity is, then follow the heavenly impulses 
of your lovely nature. 

" I think you have a most pure and devoted soul, too 
lovely and delicate for this bad, bitter earth's rough 
contact. I want you to be sheltered in your remain- 
ing progress through it by a holy consciousness, and 
strengthened by a daily dependence on Almighty God. 
I feel that my own life is passing rapidly away, and the 
thought that you are going forward toward Heaven will 
comfort me in every remaining day of my totally un- 
satisfied existence. 

" Observe then, my darling child, that I advise noth- 
ing on a subject so awful as religion. I say, follow 
God's leading wherever it goes." 

Then followed some directions about her acqui- 
sition of an " elegant, lady-like handwriting," 
and the habit of spelling correctly. He warns 
her to " take much air and exercise," " to ride 
out frequently/' and " to spare no expense in 
keeping herself in good health. ,, Then he goes 
on to say: 

" Did you read my magazine, especially the article by 
Dio Lewis? You may think me tedious for insisting so 
much on air and exercise, but I know well that the 






> 




In the " Granite State " 219 

mind will not work right, nor the mental conclusions be 
healthy and correct, unless the body is well. Pardon 
me, therefore, for keeping this everlastingly before you. 
" I hope you remember me every day, as I do you. 
Let me know when you are baptized. 

" Most affectionately Your Guardian, 

"E. G. P." 

It is needless to say how pleasant Reverend 
Mother found the task of instructing this beau- 
tiful character. In Mount St. Mary's Chapel 
Bishop Bacon baptized her, gave her First Holy 
Communion, and administered the Sacrament of 
Confirmation. The Annals record that the cere- 
monies were closed with the Te Deum, " its tones, 
let us hope, echoed by Angelic Choirs." After 
some years she became a Sister of Mercy, and 
died while still young. 



Chapter XV. 

MOTHER WARDE'S LABORS IN MANCHESTER. 

IN 1859 Father McDonald resigned a labor 
which had been his for many years, when 
he requested the Sisters to take charge of in- 
structing the large classes of boys preparing for 
the sacraments. On the evenings appointed they 
came in hundreds to the basement of St. Anne's 
Church for lessons in Christian Doctrine. 

Reverend Mother was much interested in them, 
and often instructed the larger ones herself. 
Several classes were formed in somewhat the 
same order as the Sunday School classes of the 
present day. Each Sister gave simple instruc- 
tions to her class, intermingled with illustrations 
and Bible History stories, which held the atten- 
tion of the boys, and impressed them with the 
chief principles of faith. 

Hymns were sung at the opening and closing 
of the Instructions, and the delighted boys soon 



Mother Warde's Labors in Manchester 221 

showed a marked improvement. When Father 
McDonald realized the good influence of religious 
teachers on the education of the boys of his flock, 
he determined to prevail on Reverend Mother 
to supply Sisters for a free school for them. 

For school accommodations he thought of a 
brick building vacant on Park Street, in the 
centre of a large Catholic population. This had 
been a public school, but was then closed, the 
Annals relate, because, " On a certain occasion 
the principal had spoken disrespectfully of the 
priest, and the assistants followed his remarks 
with a few of the unsavory calumnies then in 
vogue about the * popish clergy/ The boys, nearly 
all Catholics, arose en masse, and put the teachers 
out on the street. This naturally suspended 
business." 

This incident occurred during the first years 
after Father McDonald's arrival in Manchester. 
But having passed through the critical phases 
of his pioneer days in this city and the surround- 
ing country, his industry, perseverance, and de- 
votion to the spiritual welfare of souls finally 
won for him the unfailing gratitude of his own 
people, and the esteem of his non-Catholic breth- 
ren. He was totally devoid of human respect, 



222 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

which made him strictly impartial in his treatment 
of all classes. This, with his energy and thorough- 
ness, made him in his day and generation the one 
power to be reckoned with by state officials in 
matters affecting the Catholic religion. He had 
the respect of every man, woman, and child in 
Manchester, and when, in i860, he applied to 
the City Council for the vacant school on Park 
Street, it was fitted up at public expense, and he 
was given the free use of it. 

Mother Warde gave a staff of eight religious 
teachers, and, to act as Principal, Father Mc- 
Donald secured the services of Thomas Corcoran, 
at that time justly considered one of the ablest 
English scholars and teachers in New England. 

The devotion to duty, and the conscientious 
work of this capable gentleman, during a period 
which covered over thirty-two years while he 
was connected with the Park Street School, will 
be remembered with admiration by all who 
labored with him in the education of the Catholic 
boys of Manchester. 

Some of the brightest intellects of the city 
received their grammar school training within 
the walls of the Park Street building. Clergy- 
men, doctors, lawyers, and men of every pro- 



Mother Warde's Labors in Manchester 223 

fession and walk of life, turn to it as their Alma 
Mater, wherein they were taught to lead pure, 
upright lives in the sphere of life God destined 
them to fill. 

When the Civil War broke out, many of the 
senior pupils enlisted as soldiers and did gallant 
service for the Union. Many died on the battle- 
field, and many returned cripples for life from 
injuries sustained in defending the Union cause. 

During the war the Sisters often received 
letters from their Sodalists and pupils, dated 
from camping-ground or hospital. These letters 
breathed the deep faith and piety of the writers, 
while exhibiting the beauty of their loyal natures. 
Space permits us to copy only one of these simple, 
soldier-boy compositions. It was written in the 
early part of the year 1862, and reads as follows : 

"Jefferson City Hospital. 

" My Dear Sister G : — I came here several 

weeks ago, dying as the army physician thought from 
the effects of a severe wound. The bullet well-nigh 
shivered my leg, and from the loss of blood and the 
pre-exhaustion of a weary, hungry march to the scene of 
action, I lay unconscious for days. I was preserved 
from death only by the protecting Hand of God, amid 
the storm of ' shot and shell ' in that terrible fray. 

" The medal of the Blessed Virgin which you gave me, 



224 R ev - Mother M. Xavier Warde 

the evening before I left Manchester, I kept always with 
me, and I think Our Lady watched over me in a special 
manner. 

" I was never pious, but, henceforth, I will do all in 
my power to prove my gratitude to the good God for 
this miraculous escape from death. 

"The Sisters of Mercy are our nurses here. They 
spend much time among the dying. May their words 
of kindness and consolation to me, on my bed of pain, 
be recorded by angel hands in letters of gold, when they 
go before the Divine Judge to receive the ' well-done ' 
of their noble deeds. 

" I have held on to that rosary you gave me. It is 
the first I did not lose or mislay, through carelessness. 

" We are well cared for here. The blue and the gray 
alike are supplied with every necessary comfort, by the 
good Sisters. 

" Pray for me, Sister, that I may live to see my aged 
mother, who is ' all the world ' to me. 

" Your old pupil and Sodalist, 

"Stephen W. R d." 

The Sisters received every mark of appreci- 
ation and trust from the officials in the different 
locations where they nursed the sick and wounded 
during the Civil War. Colonel Mulligan (whose 
dying words on the field of battle were, " Lay 
me down and save the flag") was always the 
champion of the Sisters of Mercy, whether in 



Mother Warde's Labors in Manchester 225 

camp or hospital, and when near them he saw 
that the suffering soldiers under their care were 
abundantly supplied with comforts, nourish- 
ment, and delicacies. 

General Fremont and his staff were equally 
solicitous that the Sisters received for their 
patients all they desired. We read in the Annals 
that on one occasion " Secretary Stanton re- 
fused to furnish more rations during the current 
month." The brave officers, who would brook 
no uncourteous or penurious dealings with the 
religious engaged in nursing and consoling the 
wounded and dying, represented the case to 
the President, who immediately ordered: 

To whom it may concern : On application of the 
Sisters of Mercy, in charge of the Military Hospital at 
Washington, furnish such provisions as they desire to 
purchase, and charge the same to the War Department. 

Abraham Lincoln. 

Mother Warde held poverty and labor in high 
esteem, and in the convents which she founded 
the Sisters labor unremittingly during the time 
not occupied in prayer and spiritual exercises. 
In food and clothing they use only what is plain 
and substantial, while the sleeping apartments, 

15 



226 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

refectories, and all the rooms in the convent for 
the private use of the religious are supplied with 
only the poorest and plainest furniture. The 
chapel is as richly decorated as the community 
funds will admit, because it is the dwelling-place 
of the Most High. Reverend Mother's motto 
ever was, " I have loved, O Lord, the beauty of 
Thy house, and the place where Thy glory dwell- 
eth." She thought nothing too magnificent for 
carrying out the exterior ceremonies of our holy 
religion. She wished at all times to set forth 
the beauty and grandeur of the faith in the most 
prominent light. For the convenience of the 
public, and the parents, relatives, and friends of 
the pupils of the Academy, the parlors are con- 
veniently furnished, without mark of ostenta- 
tious poverty, but at the same time with sim- 
plicity and taste. 

Mother Warde was occupied every moment 
during her long and useful life, consequently the 
labor and enterprise crowded into her life seemed 
almost miraculous. " I can do all things in Him, 
Who strengthens me," and " In Thee, O Lord, 
have I hoped, let me never be confounded/' — 
these were her watch-words. 

When kneeling in prayer before the Blessed 



Mother Warde's Labors in Manchester 227 

Sacrament she remembered to plead for all in 
need of God's grace and assistance; when labor- 
ing in the performance of her manifold duties, 
she united her intention with Jesus and Mary 
performing the household labors in the humble 
cottage at Nazareth. 

" How pleasing," she would say, " in the 
Divine Sight are labor and prayer combined ! " 
" To earn our bread by the sweat of our brow " 
is enjoined by Almighty God on every child of 
Adam. Brain-work fulfils this obligation, but 
manual labor is more salutary and meritorious to 
the soul. 

From a Dominican treatise that she admired 
greatly, she often read for her community a 
spiritual discourse on manual labor, which we 
will copy here for the edification of our readers : 

"Humility, patience, and compassion for the poor 
are more easily cultivated amongst menial employments : 
the mistress, in imposing burdens which she has felt 
herself, is less likely to err against justice and charity ; 
and the pride of intellect and condition is wonderfully 
subdued by submitting to the yoke which is carried by 
the multitude. The reflections that naturally accompany 
manual labor are of an essentially wholesome and salu- 
tary character ; for the indolent are reminded of the 
penance due to sin, and the haughty are confounded by 



228 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

the workshop of Nazareth. I know that the rich often 
excuse themselves from labor by urging as a duty of 
charity the employment of the poor ; but the servant is 
not wronged by a share being taken in her toils, and 
occasionally one might employ others in light and easy 
work, and choose for one's own portion the drudgery of 
labor. 

" It is astonishing how much time was at the com- 
mand of the saints, and how little seems at the disposal 
of the generality of Christians ! 

"How eminently did the saints fulfil the duties of 
their state — union with God, devotion to the different 
offices their sphere in life called for, — and still they 
failed not to find time for those exercises of charity which 
only the few find time for at the present day. 

"But even those whose fervor makes them visitors of 
the sick, will often prove their hands to be but cowardly 
abettors, if they are not willing to inure themselves to 
the mortification of sense ; and spiritual consolation will 
fall coldly from the lips of such as dare not relieve at 
the expense of fastidiousness. Oh ! what a powerful 
ally is the body to the soul who sees in it her servant, 
and accustoms it to serve ; and under what a lamenta- 
ble tyranny they groan, who, because they will not tri- 
umph over some physical repugnances, are compelled to 
leave unsatisfied the best feelings of their hearts." 

Reverend Mother planned the delightful gar- 
den for which Mount St. Mary's was remarkable 
in those days. The spring and summer evenings, 



Mother Warde's Labors in Manchester 229 

and the forenoons of Saturdays, were spent by 
her and a group of Sisters digging and planting 
flower-beds, training the beautiful woodbine on 
wall and arbor, and giving general attention to 
the improvement of walks, shrubbery, and grass- 
plots. 

The altars were her special pride, and the 
Sister who received from our Mother this angelic 
office, was required to be a model of recollection 
and respectful demeanor in the performance of 
her duty, as well as a pattern of taste in the artis- 
tic arrangement of candlesticks and flowers. 

On the great feast-days she superintended the 
trimming of the altars in St. Anne's Church, 
until her multiplied duties no longer permitted 
her to give the time and attention which that 
duty demanded. 

At the request of the Rt. Rev. Bishop Wood, 
in 1 86 1, a convent was founded in Philadelphia. 
Sister M. Patricia Waldron was given charge 
of the community. The foundation was made 
in August, but Reverend Mother remained until 
the schools and works of Mercy were in suc- 
cessful operation. The Philadelphia community 
has been singularly blessed by God, and was 
very dear to Mother Warde. 



230 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

One of the first institutions of charity in 
Manchester was the orphanage. On the corner 
of Beech and Laurel Streets, occupying what is 
now the Academy play-ground, stood three cot- 
tage-houses. The first was occupied by Mr. 
Walter Dignam, the organist of St. Anne's 
Church; the second was converted into a Home 
for orphan girls; and the third accommodated 
the classes of a Day Academy taught by the 
Sisters. 

The " old boarders " have many droll reminis- 
cences of these corner houses. Here, many were 
the moonlight pranks and clandestine lunches 
partaken of, and relished as only " forbidden 
fruit " can be relished by the average schoolgirl. 
The first orphan who found a home in the little 
cottage orphanage was a child of seven years 
of age, brought to Reverend Mother from the 
Alms House by Father McDonald. When she 
attained the age of womanhood she was appren- 
ticed to a well-known dressmaker in the city, 
and attained great proficiency. Later, she mar- 
ried a man of means, and became mistress of a 
well-ordered home. 

The orphanage proved to be so great a ne- 
cessity that ere long the original cottage was 



Mother Warde's Labors in Manchester 231 

no longer able to accommodate the number of 
orphans admitted. 

Father McDonald looked about for a suitable 
building and situation to make a healthful home 
for the orphans. His choice rested on the 
" Harris Estate," — a delightful location, with 
extensive grounds in the heart of the city. 

Through his lawyers he bought this valuable 
property for fifty thousand dollars. He could 
have doubled his money the next day. But he 
had purchased it for Christ's destitute ones, and 
not for a business speculation. The mansion 
was prepared for the orphans, according to Rev- 
erend Mother's directions, and her large-hearted 
idea of making it comfortable for those to whom 
God has promised to be a father. As Superior, 
she appointed Sister M. Liguori, who has proved 
herself the kindest of Mothers and providers for 
her orphan girls through all these years. How 
great will be the reward of this devoted religious 
and her self-sacrificing staff of Sisters when, on 
the last day, they stand before the Father of the 
Orphan only God can tell. 

In 1864, on a lot on Union Street, opposite 
the convent, St. Anne's School was built for 
girls. In its day it was considered a superior 



232 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

institution, with its large, airy classrooms, well- 
ventilated ante-rooms, extensive blackboard sur- 
face, and other educational advantages. In the 
summer of the same year the Omaha foundation 
was sent from Manchester. Mother Warde 
started to accompany the Sisters to Chicago on 
their long and, at that time, dangerous journey; 
but before reaching Chicago, she was recalled 
to Manchester by a telegram announcing the 
dangerous illness of her Assistant, Mother 
Philomena. 

When Reverend Mother reached her, she was 
unconscious. She died on the eve of the feast 
of the Assumption. Her death was a severe 
blow to the Sisters, but faith taught them to 
look far above the passing events of earth, to 
the rich reward in Heaven which she had striven 
to attain by her unassuming life, so full of merit 
and good works. 

Among Mother Warde' s letters was found the 
following, written to her on this sad occasion 
by Bishop O' Gorman of Omaha. We copy it 
from the Annals of the Order: 

"Deeply do I sympathize with you in the loss you 
have sustained. But remember what causes you afflic- 
tion gives glory to God and joy to His angels. 



Mother Warde's Labors in Manchester 233 

" The Religion, which is a remedy for every ill that 
flesh is heir to, was first announced to the poor by Him 
Who declared Himself by preference the God of Suffer- 
ing, and Who seemed to have reserved His wonders for 
the wretched. That faith which you have so long taught 
by word and example, must be your comfort in the hour 
of trial, and give you that resignation to God's Will 
which it is always our duty to practise. Our Religion 
is one of sacrifice, and if it have no difficulty, it is vain. 
Let us try to be like the saints, who rejoiced when they 
had a sacrifice to make, and when God did not require 
one of them, imposed one on themselves. Besides you 
have not lost the good Sister. If deprived of her ser- 
vices here, you have gained tenfold by her additional 
advocacy before the throne of God. I shall not forget 
her at the Altar. I am already much devoted to her 
patron. I hope there are many saints of the name, and 
that she holds a distinguished place among them." 

The foundation at Omaha flourished in the 
midst of heavy trials and privations. The Sis- 
ters teach several free schools and an Academy, 
and have charge of the orphan-asylum. 

Bishop Bacon wrote from Portland in the 
spring of 1865, asking for a branch house of 
the Sisters of Mercy for Bangor. 

Father Gillen, the pastor, would accept of 
no negative reply to his request for Catholic 
schools. He built a handsome brick convent for 



234 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

the Sisters, near the rushing waters of the 
Penobscot, in the most picturesque part of the 
city. 

When Bishop Bacon wrote to Reverend 
Mother, she obeyed at once, and began pre- 
paring the mission. Mother M. Gonzaga 
O'Brien was appointed Superior. With six 
Sisters to teach in the schools, and her " old 
child " in charge, she accompanied them to their 
destination, in August, 1865. Bangor was at 
that time a flourishing city, on account of its 
important lumber trade. 

Pastor and people were delighted to have, at 
last, a religious community of their own, and 
seldom have the Sisters been more warmly wel- 
comed than to this Eastern city. 

The schools were opened at once, but the 
buildings were intended to serve only a tempo- 
rary use, and provided poor accommodations 
for the immense throngs of children. The de- 
voted people of Bangor persevered in their eager- 
ness to send their children to the Catholic schools, 
in spite of the disadvantages to be borne with 
at that time, while the public schools offered 
many inducements from a worldly point of view. 
But the Bangor Catholics had only a short time 



Mother Warde's Labors in Manchester 235 

to wait for schools possessing the best educa- 
tional advantages. 

Mother Warde was much attracted to the 
children, and foretold the Sisters that they would 
find a certain sturdiness of character and clear- 
ness of intellect in them which would give grand 
opportunities to teachers for raising the standard 
of scholarship. 

In Reverend Mother's letters to the Bangor 
community, she exhorts the Sisters to prepare 
themselves very conscientiously for the different 
classes. 

At the urgent appeal of the Rt. Rev. Eugene 
O'Connell, a colony of Sisters was sent to Yreka, 
California, in 1871, and in May of the same 
year Reverend Mother accompanied Sisters to 
found a mission in North Whitefield, Maine. 

This field of labor required from the Sisters 
much self-sacrifice, prudence, and confidence in 
God, as poverty and hardships were to be the 
portion of the noble religious destined to work 
for souls in this bleak, dreary portion of the 
country, far removed from the centres of com- 
merce and religion. 

Accordingly, the most trusted and zealous 
religious were selected for this trying, but meri- 



236 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

torious field of labor. Sister M. Ignatius Kelly, 
Sister M. Gertrude McConville, Sister M. Ursula 
Bradley, — afterwards Superior of the Portland 
convent, where she died in April, 1881, — Sister 
M. Pauline Stapleton, and Sister M. Dominica 
O'Hanlan were those most closely connected 
with the schools and missionary labor of win- 
ning back the renegade and uninstructed Cath- 
olics of that section of the country. They braved 
the severity of the climate, often walking to 
school, through snowdrifts of amazing depth, 
and performed, with the Divine aid, great things 
for God; but with one exception, all of these 
devoted women contracted diseases from expos- 
ure and hardship which, in the course of a few 
years, proved fatal. Let us hope they are now 
enjoying the reward of their heroic sacrifices, 
in the blessed mansions of Heaven. 

Miss Winifred Kavanagh of Damariscotta, 
Maine, was an unfailing benefactress of the 
Whitefield mission. 

Jersey City and Princeton were the next places 
supplied with religious. These houses remained 
branches of the Manchester community for many 
years. 

In 1872, Reverend Mother found herself, at 



Mother Warde's Labors in Manchester 237 

last, able to grant the favor the Rt. Rev. Bishop 
De Goesbriand of Burlington had constantly 
sought, of having Sisters of Mercy in his diocese. 

She founded the Order in St. Johnsbury, but 
the community has since been transferred to 
Burlington. This made the fifth New England 
state in which Mother Warde established the 
Institute. 

After returning from Vermont, she had yet 
another project awaiting her guiding hand. 
Bishop Bacon decided to open a Catholic orphan- 
age in Portland, and after the delay caused by 
the fire of 1867, now asked for Sisters to come 
at once to commence this work of Mercy so dear 
to his heart. 

Mother M. Gonzaga O'Brien was the first 
Superior of this institution. The orphans occu- 
pied part of the building on Free Street which 
is now the Convent of Mercy. The Bishop was 
much interested in the orphanage, and each child 
in it received the kind solicitude of his benevolent 
heart. 

On an occasion when diphtheria spread in the 
institution, and the building was quarantined, 
the Bishop helped to wait on the sick orphans 
with his own hands, and aided in removing the 
dead from the infirmary to the chapel. 



238 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

In 1873, h e as ked for twelve additional Sis- 
ters to open free schools for the children of 
his large, and constantly increasing congrega- 
tion. His request was complied with at once, 
while the Lord seemed to raise up subjects to 
supply the numerous calls for religious teachers. 

Miss Winifred Kavanagh donated the money 
to build the Kavanagh School, and at that time 
it was one of the finest school-buildings in New 
England. 

An academy was also opened on Free Street, 
and here, as elsewhere, the Sisters spared neither 
labor nor pains to promote God's work for the 
good of souls. 

Mother Warde seemed to have reached the 
summit of consolation, when she saw a " Home 
for Aged Women " in Manchester, under the 
care of the Sisters. A building on the " Harris 
Grounds " was used for this institution which 
has done, very modestly, its own share of good 
in the city and state. 

Sister M. Aloysius Kelly was the first Supe- 
rior. She labored unceasingly at the arduous 
duties of her charge for nearly twenty years, 
when failing health rendered her unable to en- 
dure the incessant toil, which her well-filled post 
demanded. 



Mother Warde's Labors in Manchester 239 

The opening of St. Joseph's Boys' School, 
St. Joseph's Girls' School, and St. Agnes' School, 
within the space of a few years, necessitated the 
training of a number of extra teachers. But 
good subjects entered the novitiate, and Reverend 
Mother was able to supply all the additional 
classes. 

In 1883, Bishop (then Father) Bradley re- 
modelled the school-buildings connected with St. 
Joseph's Church, to accommodate more classes, 
and provided them with the modern improve- 
ments in teaching apparatus. 

Some years later, he placed the Boys' School 
in charge of the Christian Brothers, who, besides 
teaching the intermediate and grammar grades, 
conduct a High School. 

In 1874, Reverend Mother met with a heavy 
trial in the death of Bishop Bacon, who had 
been as a kind father to her and her community 
for the sixteen years since the Sisters of Mercy 
had been established in his diocese. This worthy 
prelate started for Rome, but on reaching Brest 
was so ill that he entered a hospital and sent 
for the late Very Rev. Father Barry, V. G., to 
come to him. On receiving the summons, the 
faithful pastor of Concord commenced his jour- 



240 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

ney, and on reaching the Bishop, found him in 
a dying condition. 

He begged of Father Barry to take him home, 
that he might die in his own land, and be interred 
in his loved cathedral, amid the prayers and tears 
of his faithful priests, religious, and people. 

They undertook the homeward voyage, and 
but a few hours after their arrival in New York 
the beloved prelate died. His heart's great desire 
was granted, as he slept peacefully in Christ. 
His remains were reverently conveyed to Port- 
land and laid in state before the High Altar of 
his cathedral, where his people thronged in thou- 
sands to gaze for the last time on his loved face. 

From the sermon preached by Cardinal Mc- 
Closkey at his funeral, we give the following 
extract : — 

" From Brooklyn he came to Portland, the first 
Bishop of this Episcopal city. He brought with him — 
characteristics which have distinguished him from the 
commencement of his ministry — an indomitable zeal, 
an energy of mind and body that nothing could intimi- 
date. He shrank from no hardship. His life was 
devoted entirely to the work of his ministry and to the 
good of his people. From morning until night he was 
busy about some duty or some occupation of his office 
or ministry. His frugality, his self-denial, and his self- 




The Rt. Rev. Bishop Bacon. 



Mother Warde's Labors in Manchester 241 

sacrifice were wonderful. The fruits of all this, after his 
twenty years of labor here, in this good city of Portland, 
are visible to the eye on every side, — beautiful churches, 
religious institutions, and houses of learning, which have 
sprung up everywhere through the state of Maine and 
through the adjoining state of New Hampshire. 

" A body of zealous, devoted clergy has been gathered 
round him, and the progress of religion in the hearts of 
the people has been manifest to every one. 

" Blessed are they who die in the Lord. His works 
have gone before him ; his works will also follow him. 
He was an example to his people, not simply telling you, 
do this and do that, but setting you the example. 

" And when you remember your great Prelate, you 
will, I am sure, not forget the words of God which he 
has spoken unto you. He sought only the welfare of 
your soul. He sought only to show you the way to 
Heaven, and to sanctify and to prepare you for it. Con- 
sidering the end of his conversation, you will imitate 
his example. You will remember his many virtues. 
You will remember his exemplary life and conversation. 
You will remember his countless excellent qualities of 
mind and heart. 

" You will remember him in your homes, in the bosom 
of your families. You will remember him before this 
altar, within the walls of this cathedral, which I may 
say, his own hands have erected. You cannot turn 
your eyes to any of its parts, without having before you 
the evidences of his zeal, the proofs of his exquisite 
taste, and above all the certainty of how much he loved 

16 



242 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

the beauty of God's house and the place where His 
Glory dwelleth. And as you remember the spot, where 
he was wont to pray for his people, you will remember 
how to pray for him reposing there beneath that throne 
upon which he sat so often, and where you have gazed 
with delight and consolation upon his paternal counte- 
nance. In your homes, in your families, pray for him, 
teach your children to pray for him ; and may we all 
hope that our end will be like unto his." 

Before sailing for Europe, the Bishop in- 
trusted a letter to the care of Father Bradley 
(then Rector of the Cathedral, and later ap- 
pointed first Bishop of the diocese of Manches- 
ter) to be opened in case of His Lordship's 
death. In this letter he named Father Barry 
Administrator of the diocese. 

Mother Austin Carroll describes Bishop Bacon, 
possessed of " a magnificent physique and statu- 
esque appearance, — his sunny smile giving his 
features an irresistible charm, especially in con* 
venation." He attributed any good in him to 
the pious example of his worthy mother. Her 
last words to him when she was leaving this 
world were : " David ! David ! whatever may 
happen to others, take care of your own immor- 
tal soul." 



Chapter XVI. 

LAST YEARS OF ACTIVE SERVICE. 

AT the time of the death of Mother Pauline 
Maher, Mother Warde wrote to the Su- 
perior in Carlow the following letter, which was 
copied for the Annals, the source from which 
we take it for insertion here : — 

" Manchester, September 6, 1876. 

" My Dear Mother Catherine : — Long since, you 
have heard of our affliction in the death of my cousin, 
Mother Pauline Maher (of Hartford). She is a great 
loss to her large and edifying community. We have 
ever been united as one heart and soul, so we feel her 
loss deeply. She was to have come to us after our re- 
treat and theirs. Her death was peaceful, as her life 
was edifying. 

" Her successor, dear Mother Angela, is a very fine, 
zealous Sister ; she was Assistant to dear Mother Pauline. 
Both were received and professed in Providence in our 
early days there. I have written the sad news to our 
beloved Mother Cecilia. We have so much to do that 
we write little except on business, and it seems ungrate- 



" 



244 R ev - Mother M. Xavier Warde 

ful of me not to have written to Mother Cecilia for a 
long time, yet I do not write as often as I should to our 
branch houses. 

" We have five branch houses in this diocese, and two 
in New Jersey. 

" Here we have about eleven hundred pupils, and an 
Orphanage; in Portland another Orphanage and eight 
hundred pupils ; a third Orphanage at North Whitefield, 
Maine. 

"This is the Parent House, surrounded with every 
blessing. 

" Our late dear Bishop, and our present Bishop, most 
kind. Our pastor, Rev. William McDonald, is considered 
a saint. His brother, Father Charles, is said to have 
lived and died one. Nothing is left undone for us in a 
spiritual way, and our dear Lord seems to have blessed 
us in a temporal way also, for we are out of debt. 

u For the books received, I enclose a bank order for 
ten dollars. Please give the few shillings over the price 
to some poor sick persons, and ask them to pray for me 
and my charge. 

" With love for all, especially my dear, old children, 
and your devoted self, in particular, 

" Affectionately Yours in Christ. 



On the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy 
Cross, 1878, Reverend Mother sent her religious 
to labor among the Indians in Maine, in com- 
pliance with the earnest wish of Bishop Healy. 



Last Years of Active Service 245 

Rev. Michael O'Brien, the late Vicar General 
of Portland Diocese, accompanied them to the 
scene of their labors. The Sisters' first convent 
was the wigwam of the Chief of the tribe, who 
vacated it for the nuns. We read in the Annals 
that " the Indians received the Sisters with great 
enthusiasm/' From the same source we also 
learn that Mother Warde paid her first visit to 
the Indian Missions in the " early summer " of 

1879. 

11 As soon as she and her companions reached 
the right bank of the river, the chief crossed in 
his own canoe, that he might be the first to wel- 
come ( the great Mother! The canoes are made 
of birch-bark, and have a rather frail appearance. 
The ' great Mother ' seemed a little timid about 
taking so romantic a sail. The chief noticing this, 
at once procured a boat, and rowed her to the 
Island (the Indian Reservation), where old and 
young gave her a cordial greeting. The children 
sang a pretty song of welcome. It was a grand 
holiday. The ' great Mother's ' first visit was 
one of thanksgiving to Our Lord in the Blessed 
Sacrament, where He resides among these lowly 
children of the forest, in their humble church, 
more dear perhaps to His Sacred Heart than 



246 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

many a costly basilica. There she poured forth 
fervent thanks to God, for having selected her 
children from so many others for this great work, 
and she besought Him to continue His blessings 
to them, and preserve them in humility and 
charity. 

" As she walked towards the convent, she 
exclaimed : ' Oh, how happy would our revered 
foundress be had she lived to see this ! ' 

" The Indians then came individually to pre- 
sent their respects, and to thank her for sending 
the Sisters to them. Her generous, charitable 
heart was deeply touched. She assured them of 
her deep interest and prayers in their behalf, 
and distributed among them silver medals and 
other religious articles, which were received with 
pleasure and gratitude. 

" They, in turn, presented her with baskets, 
the work of their hands, and brought their babes 
to make some little offering, and receive the 
' great Mother's ' blessing. 

" Always grateful for the least favor, Mother 
Warde thanked them most graciously, and ex- 
pressed her appreciation of all they had done 
for the Sisters. When Reverend Mother and 
her companions were leaving, the chief and his 



Last Years of Active Service 247 

braves escorted them to the shore, where they 
found boats for the timid, and canoes for the 
courageous. Their s staff ' crossed the river, and 
remained as a guard of honor till they saw the 
party off for Bangor. 

" Thus closed a happy and memorable day, 
which the Indians frequently speak of to their 
children. The ' great Mother ' made a yearly 
visit to the Island, where the labors of her chil- 
dren gave such consolation. Nowhere is she 
more fondly remembered, or her Sisters more 
highly valued. 

" Every Christmas she sent a gift to her forest 
children, which they would use only for the 
service of the Altar. In 1882, they bought with 
her offerings an exquisite frame for a striking 
picture of the Crucifixion, which they regard as 
a relic, because it was painted by an Indian artist 
whose holiness of life is a tradition amongst 
them." 

The Sisters labor at Pleasant Point, Dana's 
Point, and the different Indian villages. The 
government builds the schoolhouses, and pays 
the religious salaries for teaching the Indian 
children. 

These were the last missions established by 



248 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

Reverend Mother in Maine, with the exception 
of the Deering Academy, Old Ladies' Home, 
and Hospital, founded in 1881, on an estate 
purchased by Bishop Healy for these purposes. 
Mother M. Petronilla O' Grady was the first 
Superior of the Deering House. The grounds 
comprise ten acres, seven of which are under 
cultivation. A grove of two acres of oak-trees 
adjoins the convent on one side, making the 
location picturesque and attractive. This House 
has been productive of much good, and the Cath- 
olics of Portland are justly proud of it. They 
maintain that the beauty of the surroundings 
and the educational standard of Deering Acad- 
emy are second to none in the state. 

Mother Josephine Warde died in December, 
1879. Her death was a great shock to Reverend 
Mother, who was bound to this only surviving 
sister by a strong bond of affection. 

Bishop Bradley of Manchester, then a young 
priest (Rector of Portland Cathedral) sent 
abroad to regain lost health, was present at the 
last ceremonies of Holy Church over Mother 
Josephine's remains, in the Convent of Mercy 
in Cork. 



Last Years of Active Service 249 

The following extract is taken from a letter 
written by him to Reverend Mother on the day 
of her sister's funeral : — 

" Your good sister's sickness was brief, only of three 
days' duration. The immediate cause of her death was 
congestion of the brain. I had the melancholy pleasure 
of assisting at her funeral, and seeing the tomb closed 
upon her. There were present at the Mass, the Bishop, 
and fifty priests, and all the Sisters from the various 
houses in Cork who could be spared from their duties. 

" If it be any consolation to you, my dear Reverend 
Mother, you may rest assured that your good sister had 
given to her in death all the honor you could desire. I 
have come in contact with many priests, and all speak 
of her in the most exalted terms." 

In a newspaper of wide repute her death was 
recorded in the following words: — 

" Died on December 15, 1879, at i St. Marie's of the 
Isle,' in Cork, Rev. Mother Josephine Warde, Mother 
Superior of the Sisters of Mercy, Cork, Ireland. 

" The life of one so noble, so heroic, so ' valiant,' as 
Holy Scripture calls it, is too precious, not only to her 
own Order of Mercy, but to all who appreciate and 
reverence what a woman can be and do, to be easily 
passed over in silence. 

" Mother Josephine joined the Order, during the 
lifetime of Mother McAuley, in 1837, at the age of 



250 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

twenty-four. Five years later, she was selected Mother 
Superior of the first Convent of Mercy in Cork ; and in 
that same place for forty-two years, she labored for 
God, and was unceasingly occupied in good works of 
every kind. 

" She was accustomed to say, ' A Sister of Mercy 
ought not to go to Heaven alone/ and her life fully 
carried out this generous intention — for it is not pos- 
sible to enumerate the good works which her full hands 
have carried to her God. 

" Being an elder sister of Mother Xavier Warde, who 
brought the Order of Mercy to this country in 1843, 
Mother Josephine took the liveliest interest in the 
American mission, and sent out many to join the Order 
in this country. 

"During the epidemic of 1878, she consoled and 
encouraged the Sisters of Mercy in New Orleans, and 
assisted them most generously in their labors among the 
sick and dying. 

" A few words from one of her own community in 
Ireland will best show how she was loved. 

" l Even if she never did anything but walk through 
the convent, her very look was a sermon, — so digni- 
fied, so religious, so sweet and benign ; and then the 
cordial welcome that beamed from her mild, sweet 
countenance when she met us coming in from our duties, 
so that no matter how tired or wet we might be, it re- 
freshed us to get her kind motherly look and word. She 
was the soul of honor, and the living copy of our Rule. 
She was never without the Cross, and yet, no one would 



Last Years of Active Service 251 

ever know that she was suffering, it was so hidden. 
Her meekness, patience, and mercy were inexhaustible. 1 
" Such a life is full of consolation, of encouragement, 
and of example. If any one would know what is the 
true sphere of woman, let her but look at such a life as 
that of Mother Josephine Warde, and she will no longer 
doubt as to what is great and glorious in the eyes of 
God and men — a memory of benediction." 

Mother Warde outlived all who were associ- 
ated with Mother McAuley and herself in the 
foundation of the Institute ; and when her Golden 
Jubilee drew near, in 1883, she was the oldest 
Sister of Mercy in the world. 

Preparations for this event commenced in the 
latter part of 1882. Every convent of the 
Order joined in a Novena for the American 
foundress, and invitations were extended to nu- 
merous Bishops, priests, and religious to be 
present at the celebration of the fiftieth anni- 
versary of her consecration to God, by the 
religious vows. 

The Sisters she had trained in the spiritual 
life were as intensely devoted to her as ever 
daughter was to a real parent, and they found a 
source of loving pleasure in their efforts to make 
this joyous occasion a festal celebration worthy 
of the venerable jubilarian. 



252 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

Mother M. Catherine Clifford, the Mother 
Superior of the community at the time of Mother 
Warde' s Golden Jubilee, addressed a form of 
invitation, nearly like the following, to the Su- 
periors of all the convents : — 

" Mount St. Mary's, Manchester, January 3, 1883. 

" My Dear Rev. Mother : — Will you please accept 
the warmest invitation for yourself and any of the senior 
Sisters you may choose to bring with you to the Golden 
Jubilee of our venerated and loved Reverend Mother, on 
Wednesday, January twenty- fourth. From her numer- 
ous spiritual children, and each community of our Sisters 
throughout the world, we solicit a union of prayer in a 
Novena to the Sweet Mother of Mercy to obtain every 
blessing for one who has done so much to extend the 
greater glory of God by saving precious souls. 

" We therefore ask you, dear Mother, to join us in 
fervent prayer, and also to notify your Sisters in the 
local houses. 

11 You will rejoice to hear that our venerable Mother is 
wonderfully well and actively zealous as ever in striving 
to gain the celestial crown of eternal glory. 

" Greetings from the Community for a Happy New 
Year. I am, dear Reverend Mother, 

" Yours Affectionately in Christ, 

11 Sister M. Catherine Clifford." 

The Golden Jubilee — a memorable event in 
the history of the Order of Mercy in this country 



Last Years of Active Service 253 

— was celebrated on January 24, 1883, at Mount 
St. Mary's, Manchester. The occasion was a 
notable one, causing the deepest interest to the 
communities of the Sisters of Mercy throughout 
the Union, and in Ireland and England, as 
well as to the Catholics of Manchester and the 
vicinity, where careful preparations were made 
to do honor to the noble record of Mother 
Warde's consecration to God, and faithful ser- 
vice in His vineyard for fifty years. 

At an early hour every avenue leading to St. 
Anne's, adjoining the convent, was thronged 
with people eager to gain admission to the 
church. 

A Pontifical High Mass was celebrated at ten 
o'clock. The Rt. Rev. Bishop Healy pontifi- 
cated; the Very Rev. Father Barry, V. G., was 
Assistant priest; the Rev. Fathers O'Callaghan 
and Hugh Roe O'Donnell w T ere Deacon and 
Sub-deacon of the Mass ; the Very Rev. Fathers 
Hughes and Lynch were Deacons of Honor; 
and the Rev. Father (now Bishop) Bradley was 
the Master of Ceremonies. 

There were present in the Sanctuary His 
Grace, Archbishop Williams, the Rt. Rev. Bishop 
De Goesbriand, the Rt. Rev. Bishop O'Reilly, 



254 R ev * Mother M. Xavier Warde 

the Rt. Rev. Bishop McMahon, and about fifty 
priests from different parts of New England. 

From the text : " My soul doth magnify the 
Lord and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my 
Saviour, because He that is mighty hath done 
great things for me, and Holy is His Name/' 
the Rt. Rev. Bishop De Goesbriand preached the 
sermon, in the course of which he read the vows 
made by her fifty years before, and said : " If 
I were to question Reverend Mother, I would 
ask her, — What of this service of God ? How 
about its results in the present life? Our Lord 
has assured us that ' My yoke is sweet, and my 
burden light.' What has been your long ex- 
perience? And how does the yoke of God com- 
pare with that of the world, — the pains of fifty 
years lived in His service with those inevitable 
in a life of similar length in ordinary human 
experience? The reflection instantly arises in 
the mind : Life's troubles increase, while those 
of one dead to this life, and living here wholly 
for God and His work, diminish; the effort is 
in renouncing the world, while after that step 
one's cross grows lighter, which in the world 
usually grows heavier." 

The Right Reverend speaker then showed, in 



Last Years of Active Service 255 

eloquent and touching words, the sacrifices the 
Sister of Mercy makes in leaving the world. 
" She has to leave home and kindred, and make 
the threefold vow of poverty, chastity, and obe- 
dience for Christ's sake, in order to care for 
the sick and afflicted, and bring joy to many a 
poor heart." 

After dinner the pupils of Mount St. Mary's 
Academy gave a delightful entertainment, con- 
sisting of tableaux vivants, music, and original 
numbers in honor of the Jubilarian, arranged 
to present a programme of a highly educational 
value. In the evening Benediction of the Blessed 
Sacrament was given in the convent chapel by 
the Rt. Rev. Bishop Healy, assisted by the Rev. 
William P. McQuaid; thus was this joyous day 
brought to an appropriate close. 

Reverend Mother's Golden Jubilee gifts were 
many and varied, from friends who knew their 
valuable presents would be lovingly used to 
decorate God's House, or relieve want among 
the suffering and the poor. 

From the Boston Pilot of that date we copy : — - 

"The centre and object of all this interest and joy 
well deserves the admiration she has inspired, and her 



256 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

name and deeds should find a place in the hearts of all 
the faithful, and be meditated upon by all aspiring souls. 

" Of an energy both mental and physical, rarely pos- 
sessed by any woman, she is gifted also with fervent 
piety and boundless charity. With zeal, courage, and 
firmness, are united prudence, dignity, affable address, 
and rare executive ability. Her bodily vigor has ever 
been remarkable, and to-day, though threescore and 
ten years, she is the earliest in the chapel in the morn- 
ing, and at all the spiritual exercises of the day, and is 
not excelled by the youngest and most ardent of her 
sisterhood in the regular duties that each day brings. 

" The vocation of a Sister of Mercy is varied and 
ample. Rev. Mother McAuley's conception and aim 
were to unite the active life of a Sister of Charity with 
the contemplative and devotional life of a Carmelite. 
Accordingly the Sisters of Mercy teach and nurse, yet 
spend nearly six hours each day in united devotion. 

" Their rules of life are strict, and its duties unremit- 
ting — patient with youth, cheery with age, ministering 
to the sick and in prisons, inspiring fortitude, resigna- 
tion, and hope, yet their personal and cloistered life is 
never neglected. 

"Rev. Mother Warded choice, though made when 
so young, was no mistake. Her talents, her longings, 
her capacities were not wasted or treated lightly, but 
were respected and treasured ; received as they were 
from God, to Him she consecrated them, offering her- 
self unreservedly for His sake to the service of her fel- 
low-beings. And to-day these gifts, their use, and their 



Last Years of Active Service 257 

fruitage are recognized, and are held up to a world that 
needs the lessons they convey. From all over America, 
from Europe, from the antipodes (Australia and New 
Zealand), congratulations and love-gifts pour in upon the. 
last survivor of the original Baggot Street foundation. 

" Our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIII., accorded a 
special indulgence to all the Houses of the Order to be 
gained by Communion on this eventful anniversary. 

" The clergy have paid their tribute of honor ; the 
inmates of four hundred religious houses felicitate her 
and unite in prayer to second her pious intentions, and 
the faithful everywhere will recognize her lofty purpose 
and noble self-sacrifice in a life full of Glory to God, 
and good to man." 

From the pen of Rev. Father Edmund Hill, 
C. P., an English convert and author, who, 
with his brother Passionist, Father Fidelis Stone, 
C. P., was sincerely devoted to Mother Warde, 
we quote the following beautiful stanzas, written 
for her Jubilee : — 

"'T was a jubilee day, our first Mother's first daughter, 
When setting your face towards the Western afar, 
You braved the long leagues of the storm-haunted water, 
To follow the Shining of Mary the Star. 

" On toiled the good ship, bringing nearer each morrow, 
Its message of Mercy, its burthen of love ; 
Seven offerings of faith from the ' Island of Sorrow' 
A mystical band, with the seal of the Dove. 

17 



258 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

" But you were the chief in that virginal Seven ; 
And lo, when their feet touched America's shore, 
'T was the day your Saint Xavier landed in Heaven, 
And the blessing he gave you abides evermore. 

" Again 't is a Jubilee day ! brave, pious Mother ! 
Your daughters stand up in this home of the free, 
And bid to-day echo the joy of another, 
Which dawned, ere you followed the Star of the Sea. 

" *T was the morn of your bridal, the troth you then plighted, 
How faithfully kept we your children attest, 
You may count us by scores and we greet you united 
With happier scores who have gone to their rest. 

" This Jubilee spousal — this calm Golden Wedding, — 
Lights up like a sun-set the grace-fruited past, 
And we hail in the peace its sweet radiance is shedding, 
A pledge of the glory to crown you at last." 

Among the many letters of congratulation that 
came to Reverend Mother on her Jubilee Day, 
only a small number have been preserved in the 
Annals, 

Having the greater glory of God in view, 
some of these we copy here, for the edification 
of our readers. From the Rt. Rev. Bishop Hen- 
dricken of Providence, " too ill to be present," 
came : — 

"I entertain for Rev. Mother Warde sentiments of 
the deepest affection, and send a thousand blessings. 
She is a grand, historical character. Her works are 



Last Years of Active Service 259 

benedictions to the Church. The community which she 
almost founded continues to pour its streams of charity 
on God's poor, and to fill Heaven with holy souls." 

The Rev. Father O'Connor, S. J., wrote from 
Boston College : — 

" Dear Rev. Mother : — Congratulations and good 
wishes from the fathers of our house and myself for your 
Golden Jubilee. Be assured of my fervent remember- 
ance of you at the Holy Altar, where I will beg for you, 
from the Divine Master you have served so long and 
so well, grace and happiness unto length of days here ; 
and hereafter, unending Jubilee anear Our Lady of 
Mercy, in Heaven.' ' 

From the Rev. A. Young, C. S. P., New 
York: — 

" As Very Rev. Father Hecker and I have been pro- 
moted to the rank of General Invalid, it will be quite 
impossible for either of us to make the journey to Man- 
chester, at this season of the year, in order to be present 
at the great occasion of your Golden Jubilee. 

" Therefore, we are going to make an act of virtue 
out of this unwelcome necessity, and do that which costs 
us the most while this joyous festivity is being celebrated 
— which is, to stay at home. Indeed we would both 
rejoice, dear Reverend Mother, to show you, as you are 
most worthy to receive, our fraternal respect and heartfelt 
congratulations. In what I am saying to interpret the 



260 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

directions of Very Rev. Father Hecker, and as the ex- 
pression of my own feelings, I am repeating as well the 
sentiments entertained by all our community. I add 
for myself (and no doubt with willing assent of every- 
body) that, if we of the clergy do not stay you up 
and strengthen your soul by prayers at God's Holy 
Altar, then we are little deserving of having had such a 
woman and such a religious in our day and generation. 
It is to be hoped that in fifty years' time of service to 
the servants of God, you have managed to acquire 
enough humility to bear just a little praise to your face. 
" May Our Lord bless you, love you, and give you 
joy and divine peace here and hereafter." 

From the Rt. Rev. Abbot Wimmer of Penn- 
sylvania, who with his monks had exercised 
such kindness and charity to Reverend Mother 
and her community nearly forty years before, 
she received : — 

" Hearty congratulations from myself and the whole 
community. At this writing, I find myself seventy-five 
years of age ; fifty years a Benedictine, and fifty-one 
years a priest, therefore too old to travel so far, despite 
the pleasure it would afford me to be present at the 
ceremonies to take place on this joyful occasion in the 
sight of Heaven and earth. 

" Praying God may add many years to your useful 
life, and finally to receive you into His Heavenly 
mansions, 

" I remain," &c, &c. 



Last Years of Active Service 261 

The Passionist, the Rev. Father Edmund of 
the Heart of Mary, wrote the following to the 
venerable Jubilarian : — 

" It is certainly a grand thing to have been in religion 
fifty years. Ah, what a pledge of your own persever- 
ance, dear Reverend Mother, you already have ! 

" And what a consolation it must be to your heart, 
to look back over such a vista of years and see the 
many vocations which have begun, continued, and ended 
under your fostering rule ! 

" Do you not feel like holy Simeon when he sang his 
Nunc Dimittis ? Could you not use his beautiful words 
as you look back on the past, so thickly strewn with 
mercies? 

" Ah, how good God is ! How sweet and true the 
Sacred Heart of Jesus ! How faithful and tender the 
sweet Heart of Mary ! 

" To God be all praise for what you and your sister- 
hood have done in this great land. God bless and 
keep you always, my very dear friend. * ' 

The saintly Mother Catherine Seton of New 
York was too feeble to attend the Jubilee, but 
did the honors to her old and esteemed Sister 
and friend by writing : — 

" How I wish some angels of Mercy could descend 
to this lower earth and bear me on their wings to your 
side, that with a warm embrace I could congratulate 



262 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

you on your Golden Jubilee. But being unlike my 
sainted namesake whom they favored with such ethereal 
transportation, a heavy old sinner like me might not 
be so sure of reaching you safely in such an aerial 
expedition. 

" But romancing aside, dear Mother, the weather and 
old age make me fear any extra fatigue, for eighty-two 
cannot bear much. My health is good; my faculties 
and senses are good, so that I begin to fear that there 
is no present prospect of my exit to the better land, but 
I keep my lamp trimmed for fear of a surprise." 

Mother Catherine Maher of Carlow Convent, 
received by Reverend Mother in 1839, wrote: — 

" I congratulate you most warmly on the glorious 
event of your Golden Jubilee. Your long, useful, and 
happy career reminds me of a legend you used to tell 
us * long, long ago/ of ' The Monk Felix/ whose beauti- 
ful ecstasy was immortalized by Longfellow. 

" Such is your position now, when glancing back at 
the day and place of your holy espousals ; all your com- 
panions have passed away to the heavenly city, where 
they join with the s angelic chorus ' on this great festival ; 
and you, beloved Mother, are the object of such a bright 
happy meeting on earth and in heaven. The number- 
less prayers offered for you will lift you so high off terra 
firma that you will have to strain your ears to catch the 
sweet melody of your loving children still surrounding 
you at Manchester, i Felix-land ' to-day." 



Last Years of Active Service 263 

The beautiful lines inserted here came to the 
revered Jubilarian as precious echoes of loving 
remembrance from her dear spiritual children 
from over the sea : — 



To Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde, from her Community 
at Westport, Ireland, Jan. 24, 1883. 

May the white-winged bright angels, those spirits sublime, 
Who enraptured keep watch round the throne, 

Bear all our fond greetings from Erin's green Isle, 
To that land which you now call your own. 

Many dear ones their tributes of love will present, 

And we, too, in our home far away, 
Would in spirit unite all our wishes with theirs 

On this bright Golden Jubilee-day. 

May each moment, each year, since that thrice happy hour 
When the first time you plighted your vows, 

Be presented to-day, and with merits replete, 
As sweet incense ascend to your Spouse. 

If we seek cherished spots in our dear Island Home 
Where the seedlings of Mercy you Ve cast, 

Carlow, Westport, and Wexford, and Naas will recall 
Brightest memories, beloved of the past. 

To you our dear Foundress her spirit bequeathed ; 

Led by it, how oft you We unfurled 
The standard of Mercy in far distant climes, 

Thus to shed its soft rays on the world. 



264 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

Earthly Jubilees shadow yon land of the Blessed. 

Yes, the Heavenly Bridegroom is there, 
Enriching each moment that glittering crown 

For you gemmed with such Fatherly care. 



When the aged religious read the following 
sweet song of " the dear little Shamrock/' her 
eyes filled with grateful tears of appreciation. 



To Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde, with Shamrocks from 
St. Patrick's Grave, Convent of Our Lady of Mercy, 
Mt. St. Patrick, Downpatrick, Ireland. 



We send you the " leaf of bard and chief," 

The shamrock never old, 
To bear on its verdant page, though brief, 

Our wish for your Day of Gold. 

May its hours be blest 

In your home of the West 
As our dear little shamrock when given 

By St. Patrick's hand 

To our own loved land, 
'Neath the smile benign of Heaven. 

No care it knew, 

As it drank the dew, 
This stem, 'neath the trees that wave 

Their branches wide 

On the green hillside 
O'er Saint Patrick's hallowed grave. 



Last Years of Active Service 265 

No brilliant dye 

To charm your eye, 
No fragrance to impart, 

Has our shamrock got, 

Yet shall it not 
Be dear to your Celtic heart ? 



A type of the love 

Of our Mother above, 
For the child of her cherished " First-Seven " ; 

As green as our spray 

For your Jubilee day, 
With her smile and her blessing from Heaven ! 



Chapter XVII. 

FAILING HEALTH AND DEATH. 

DURING the winter of 1883, Reverend 
Mother commenced to show symptoms 
of a sudden failure of strength. In the Lenten 
season she had a severe spell of sickness, but 
before Easter-tide she was again to be found 
each morning at her post before the Blessed 
Sacrament. As the warm, sunny days of spring 
lengthened into summer, her health improved, 
and her voice at prayer had its old-time vigor 
and impressiveness. 

When the twenty-fifth anniversary of the 
foundation in Manchester was observed on the 
Feast of Mount Carmel, July 16, 1883, every one 
remarked her sprightliness, sincere cordiality, 
and modest simplicity, as much her character- 
istics on that day, although past the age of 
seventy, as they had been in her youth. 

By the direction of the Rt. Rev. Bishop Healy, 
before the August Retreat of this year, the 



Failing Health and Death 267 

religious laboring in Maine were constituted a 
separate community. St. Elizabeth's Convent, 
in Portland, became the Parent House, with 
Mother Warde's trusted and much-loved spirit- 
ual daughter, Sister M. Teresa Pickersgill, 
Mother Superior. 

In her youth she had made great sacrifices 
to become a Catholic, and was among the first 
converts instructed by Reverend Mother and 
baptized by Father McDonald. She was also one 
of the first graduates from Mount St. Mary's 
Academy. 

Mother Teresa's first council in the Portland 
Mother House consisted of Sister M. Clare Lee- 
son for Mother Assistant, Sister M. Adelaide 
Donahoe for Mother Bursar, and Sister M. 
Petronilla O' Grady for Mother of Novices. The 
election of the Mother Superior in Manchester 
took place at the same time ; Mother Warde was 
unanimously chosen. The Sisters felt that in 
all probability she would receive her eternal 
crown before her term of office expired; but 
they were convinced that God would be pleased 
with this act of loyalty and loving homage to 
the aged religious and venerated Mother who 
had founded more convents than even the great 



268 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

spiritual Mother, Saint Teresa, and who had 
journeyed more miles than St. Paul, in her 
errands of mercy and zeal for souls. 

After the election, the ten days' retreat was 
given to the assembled religious at Mount St. 
Mary's, by the Rev. Father Campbell, S. J. 
Among some notes written in her Journal, during 
this retreat, we find : — 

August 12, 1883. " May the Cross of Christ be 
about us ! O good Cross, that makes us rejoice 
in the Holy will of God. Close to God, all is 
peace and contentment in Him. They tell me I am 
growing strong again ; they try to hope it is so, but I 
feel old age is here, and I realize that very soon I am 
to stand before the Great White Throne, to render an 
account of my stewardship. It is an awful responsi- 
bility to sit in the chair of a Superior, — awful possibili- 
ties of being careless and failing in the binding duties 
attached, and awful opportunities of rejoicing the Sacred 
Heart of Jesus by making every circumstance fruitful 
for God's greater glory. 

" I can say with the eminent Jesuit whose ' Spiritual 
Direction ' is now before me, ' Shall I be able to go on 
doing the little I have hitherto done? I do not know; 
but I put myself without reserve in God's Hands. Let 
us pray and give ourselves up to the Divine Will.' " 

A few days after the retreat, Reverend Mother 
sent her religious to take charge of the parochial 



Failing Health and Death 269 

schools in Dover, New Hampshire. This mission 
was a source of great consolation to her on 
account of the wonderful activity and charity of 
the zealous pastor, the Rev. D. W. Murphy, who 
encouraged every pious undertaking of the Sis- 
ters, and left nothing undone in providing all 
the ways and means his great, fatherly heart 
suggested as helpful to the religious in doing 
good, and promoting the glory of God among 
His people. 

Sister M. Francis Leeson was appointed the 
first Superior of the Dover community, and to 
her Reverend Mother confided minute directions 
and encouragement for the training of the little 
ones to be educated by the Sisters. 

The handsome school-building which welcomed 
to its portals the children of Dover was at that 
time one of the finest in the two states. Father 
Murphy, now Rt. Rev. Monsignor, dedicated the 
school to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and the con- 
vent to Our Blessed Lady. 

Many interesting notes are inserted in the 
Annals of this branch house fraught with so 
many blessings for souls. The first band of re- 
ligious picture in their letters the beautiful class- 
rooms, with the delightful view from the win- 



270 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

dows of Dover hiding itself amid the foliage 
of its . grand old trees and verdant hillsides. 
" If God/' they write, " will only make this one 
of His chosen places for blessing children it will 
be perfect in loveliness." 

Reverend Mother failed considerably in the 
October and November of 1883, but kept at her 
duties, and said all the public prayers in choir 
with the same impressive unction for which her 
prayers were remarkable, and which cannot be 
forgotten by any one who ever heard her pray. 
During the nine days previous to the Feast of 
St. Francis Xavier, December 3, she recited her 
favorite novena at the Visit to the Blessed Sac- 
rament after Supper. This was to be the last 
time she would make this beautiful devotion to 
her great patron. 

To hear her say, in earnest pleadings, St. 
Xavier' s Act of Love for God was to be lifted 
far beyond the trifling cares and trials of this 
fleeting world to the "Jasper gates" and "streets 
of pearl " in the Heavenly land. 

In the winter of 1884 she had frequent at- 
tacks of illness, and her failing sight and feeble- 
ness in walking gave warning that she was 
nearing " Home" 



Failing Health and Death 271 

During the latter part of March and the first 
of April Reverend Mother continued to fail. 
In Holy Week news came from Rome that the 
Rev. D. M. Bradley was appointed first Bishop 
of Manchester by Our Holy Father, Pope Leo 
XIII. 

As a child, the Bishop-elect had recited his 
Catechism lessons to Reverend Mother, and had 
received his First Holy Communion from Father 
McDonald. Even in those tender years they had 
noted the spiritual tendency in his boyish aims 
and propensities, which seemed to foretell God's 
special designs for him. In youth they saw him 
choose the high and holy calling of the priest- 
hood; and now his elevation to the episcopacy 
came as a crowning joy to the closing years of 
their lives. 

Through the month of May preparations were 
in order for the Consecration Ceremonies, and 
despite her feeble condition, Reverend Mother, 
assisted by a Sister, came to the chapel and com- 
munity-room for the Spiritual Exercises, and 
spent each day praying, writing, and supervising 
the making of some episcopal vestments to be 
worn at the Consecration of the Bishop. 

Before the Bishop-elect commenced his retreat 



272 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

on Pentecost Sunday, in Troy Seminary, where 
he had been ordained a priest fourteen years 
previously, he came to visit the aged religious, 
and to solicit her prayers. On his return, he 
again visited her, and even in the short space of 
ten days found her changed very visibly. 

He was consecrated first Bishop of Manchester 
on the feast of St. Barnabas, June 11, but she 
was too ill to be present with the other religious, 
vho occupied a private chapel in St. Joseph's 
Church, to witness the episcopal consecration of 
one whose active solicitude for the spiritual and 
temporal welfare of the communities of his 
diocese is without parallel in the history of the 
Order. 

During the summer vacation of 1884, many 
of the senior Sisters from the different founda- 
tions in New England obtained permission to 
visit the venerated mother and receive her bless- 
ing, before her departure from her religious 
here, to join the community in Heaven. 

This was a great joy to Reverend Mother. 
She spoke to them of the near approach of her 
death, and the great pleasure it gave her to see 
them once more before God summoned her to 
the Heavenly Home above. 



IP^^-y^ 




The Rt. Rev. Denis M. Bradley, D.D. 



Failing Health and Death 273 

Her sight failed rapidly during the summer 
months, and before the end of July " the eyes 
that saw once, so distinctly, objects far and 
near," were almost totally without sight. 

When no longer able to see, she used to bless 
God for knowing so many fine prayers which 
she had committed to memory in her youth. 
Acts of love, hope, resignation, and contrition 
were ever on her lips during the entire period 
of her illness. On the morning of the sixth of 
August, she was helped by the Sisters to the 
parlor to await the Jesuit Father who was to 
give the ten days' retreat. While there she be- 
came so ill that it was necessary to assist her 
to her sleeping apartment. The Sisters made 
her as comfortable as possible in bed, and sum- 
moned the doctor, who found her in a condi- 
tion too weak for medical aid. She rallied, how- 
ever, and sat up each day, praying and giving 
directions about the affairs of the community. 

Her favorite aspirations were, " Let all be 

lost, provided God be not lost ! " " O Sweetest 

Jesus, be to me a Jesus ! " " O my Saviour, 

suffering and dying on the Cross for me, be 

a Saviour to me when I stand at the Judgment 

seat of God ! " " Holy Virgin, Queen of Heaven, 

18 



274 R ey « Mother M. Xavier Warde 

show thyself a mother to me at the hour of my 
death/' " O Jesus, be my strength, I have no 
hope but in Thee." 

On the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy 
Cross, by the prudent direction of the Bishop and 
Father McDonald, she received Extreme Unc- 
tion. The latter, who had been her Spiritual 
Director for over twenty-five years, administered 
to her the last Sacraments. Sorrowfully, but 
with hope in their hearts that she would be 
restored to health, her religious knelt with 
lighted tapers around the bedside of the revered 
mother, so soon to hear the sentence of the 
Equitable Judge. She, whom God had " chosen 
from amongst thousands, and called to be His 
spouse, and to stand with the Lamb upon Mount 
Sion, and to be of the forty-four thousand having 
His name and the name of His Father written 
on their foreheads." 

Every event of Reverend Mother's sickness and 
death was full of consolation. The Bishop 
watched over her with the tender solicitude of 
a devoted son, that no anxiety or uneasiness 
should disturb her. Father McDonald remained 
her firm support and adviser to the end. All the 
religious in the convent vied with each other in 



Failing Health and Death 275 

their filial affection and delicate attention to 
their venerated Superior. 

During life she had always feared the account 
to be rendered to God at death of " graces 
neglected, — omissions of duty, — works im- 
perfect and unatoned for, shrinking from the 
all-seeing, all-enlightening light of the Eternal 
eye," but as death drew near her fears gave way 
to calm, trustful hope, while in perfect peace she 
awaited the coming of the Divine Master to pro- 
nounce the " well-done " that would place her 
forever with the saints in Paradise, where " death 
shall be no more, nor mourning, nor weeping, 
nor sorrow." 

To Mother Teresa, her devoted spiritual 
daughter, whom she loved with tender affection, 
Reverend Mother gave many wise counsels 
regarding the good government of the com- 
munity in Maine, intrusted to her pious care. 

To Mother Gonzaga, Mother Catherine, Sister 
Philomena, and the faithful religious who were 
her attendants, she said several times during the 
last days of her life : " My long and stormy 
life is at last coming to an end." Many a time 
had her life been rough and full of bitter trials, 
but none save her director and a few trusted 



276 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

members of her community were ever permitted 
to gaze on aught but the silvery linings of the 
dark, heavy clouds that overshadowed at various 
intervals her pious, useful life. How often do 
perplexing events and trying circumstances, like 
gnats around a candle, thrust themselves into 
the bright, warm lives of those who undertake 
great things for God's honor and glory ! On the 
evening before her precious death she sent for 
the community Sisters, and gave them her dying 
blessing. Each spoke to her in turn, and re- 
ceived loving counsel and a warm leave-taking 
before her departure for Heaven. 

Mary Agnes Warde, the grandchild of her 
brother John, had entered the novitiate a few 
months before. The dying Superior asked for 
her, and showed tender affection for this young 
girl, who had regarded her with a childlike trust 
and love since she had been bereft of her own 
parents some years before. 

A few of the senior Sisters remained near her 
until 10 p. m. Then she sent them to bed with 
the words, " God bless you and love you every 
one." She kept Sister M. Philomena and Sister 
M. Regina, two religious who had been her faith- 
ful attendants during the feebleness of her fail- 



Failing Health and Death 277 

ing health and old age. They were to keep 
watch, and if a change for death appeared were 
to call the other Sisters. 

A few hours after midnight the agony com- 
menced. Sister M. Philomena called some of the 
senior Sisters, and they recited the Prayers for 
the Dying. 

She only spoke in broken whispers, but kissed 
the Crucifix, and seemed to pray with intense 
fervor before sinking into an unconscious state. 
At daybreak all the nuns had assembled around 
her death-bed, and Father McDonald was sum- 
moned. He offered prayers for her happy death, 
gave her the papal benediction, and then went 
to the church to say his Mass, which he offered 
for her. 

The venerated Abbe Hogan, so widely known 
in connection with St. John's Seminary, Brighton, 
Mass., was offering the Holy Sacrifice of the 
Mass in Mount St. Mary's Chapel for the 
grace of a happy death for the dying reli- 
gious, when she expired amid the prayers of 
her sorrowful community. There, in the early 
morning of Wednesday, Sept. 17, 1884, the life- 
less body of the American foundress lay. So 
well did she observe Poverty, that the rude hut 



278 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

wherein her holy patron lay down to die, on 
the border-land between China and Japan, was 
not, we think, more bare than the poor cell, 
seven feet by nine, which she occupied, refusing 
the conveniences of the Infirmary. Nor could 
St. Xavier' s couch of branches and skins be 
much more ascetic than her iron bed and hard 
mattress, which, with a crucifix, a plain bureau, 
and a chair mean enough in appearance for the 
lowliest cabin, constituted the furnishing of her 
sleeping apartment. The hand of her faithful 
co-laborer during long years pressed down the 
lids of her sightless eyes and closed them for- 
ever to this sad and fleeting world. 

The Rev. John J. Lyons commenced the Holy 
Mass in the convent-chapel for the happy repose 
of her soul. The body was clothed in the reli- 
gious habit, and laid on the narrow iron bed 
whereon she died. Groups of her sorrowing 
religious kept watch, offering earnest prayers 
for the speedy entrance of her soul into eternal 
glory. 

On Wednesday evening the body was rever- 
ently placed in a plain pine coffin, and carried 
to the chapel. There, at the foot of God's altar, 
rested the precious remains of our revered 



Failing Health and Death 279 

Mother, her hands clasped on her breast, holding 
the formula of the vows she had made to God 
nearly fifty-two years before; and the Rosary, 
w r hose decades she had piously recited each day 
for a lifetime, lay entwined in her fingers. Her 
little book of daily Examen scrupulously " kept" 
was placed under her right arm, in the coffin. 

She had requested, on her death-bed, that her 
burial should be arranged in the simplest and 
most religious manner, befitting the obsequies 
of a Spouse of Our Crucified Lord. The 
Bishop and the senior members of the com- 
munity respected her pious wish, and held her 
opinion, that only a modest funeral would be 
appropriate for one who had embraced voluntary 
poverty. But as the convent-chapel was too 
small to accommodate the thousands of towns- 
people, all anxious to look for the last time on 
the revered face of the religious woman who 
had, perhaps, done more good for humanity than 
any other woman on the American Continent, 
the Bishop and Father McDonald thought it 
was a privilege due to the Catholics of Manches- 
ter to have this pioneer religious and foundress 
buried from the parish church. From the dawn- 
ing of morn on Saturday, private Masses were 



280 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

said in the convent-chapel for the repose of her 
soul. 

At nine o'clock the procession commenced to 
move to St. Anne's Church. Before the coffin, 
and directly behind the cross-bearer, walked 
nearly one hundred priests, including the secular 
clergy and representatives of the various reli- 
gious Orders in New England. Behind the coffin 
the Sisters walked two and two, attired in church 
cloaks. Senior Sisters from each of the Con- 
vents of Mercy in New England were present, 
and a large number of the " Sisters of Jesus and 
Mary," then the only other religious Order in 
Manchester. The silence was broken only by the 
tolling of the bells of St. Anne's. Long before 
the time fixed for the funeral, every portion of 
the church was crowded, while thousands stood 
in groups outside to get a view of the coffin 
which held all that was mortal of the humble 
religious destined to be a prominent figure in the 
history of the Church in the United States. 

A Pontifical Mass of Requiem was celebrated 
by Bishop Bradley. Appropriate music was 
sung by a choir of religious, with Reverend 
Mother's favorite musician, Sister M. Beatrice, 
presiding at the organ. 



Failing Health and Death 281 

There were present in the sanctuary the Rt. 
Rev. Bishop Healy of Portland, the Rt. Rev. 
Bishop De Goesbriand of Burlington, the Rt. 
Rev. Bishop Hendricken of Providence, the Rt. 
Rev. Bishop O'Reilly of Springfield, and the 
Rt. Rev. Bishop McMahon of Hartford. 

After the Absolution was given by the Rt. 
Rev. Bishop De Goesbriand, the Rt. Rev. Bishop 
Healy preached the funeral sermon. He com- 
mented on her warmth of devotion, strength of 
purpose, and spirit of sacrifice and fortitude, 
and ended his discourse by saying : " Hers was 
a life of humility, but full of the glory of the 
saints. Hers was a life of poverty, in her long 
years of strict practice of the common life pre- 
scribed by the Rule, yet full of the riches of 
sanctity and grace. Hers was a life of morti- 
fication, setting self aside to minister to the 
wants of humanity; yet what honor this noble 
life gave to the Heart of the Divine Master, 
whose Mercy is above all His Attributes. 

" How many tears has she dried from sor- 
rowing eyes! How many has she soothed and 
solaced in suffering and distress! How many 
souls has she enlightened in the law of God's 
Commandments! How many by her example 



282 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

have been encouraged to lead high and holy- 
lives ! ' Blessed are the dead who die in the 
Lord ! ' Beautiful beatitude of death ! Can- 
ticle surpassing all Canticles; first spoken by 
the voice of God. ' Blessed are the dead who 
die in the Lord ! ' She has passed away from 
her devoted religious, who will miss, each day, 
her experience, her kind, motherly advice, her 
wise government. The never-wearying care, the 
sweet and tender love, the grand religious pres- 
ence can never come back, but she is living the 
true life; she continues to be the guide and pro- 
tector of this community, whose glory she will 
ever be in that heavenly abode which, by God's 
grace, her virtues and mortified, useful life of 
prayer and good works have merited for her." 

On leaving the church, the procession, in closed 
carriages, wound through the streets, followed 
by vast throngs of the laity, far outside the 
city limits to St. Joseph's Cemetery. Here, her 
last resting-place lay ready to receive the re- 
mains. The Rt. Rev. Bishop Bradley and Father 
McDonald stood together, at the head of the 
coffin, pronouncing the last prayers over the 
grave, as the cold earth closed in and covered her 
from human view. The faithful clergy, sorrow- 



Failing Health and Death 283 

ing religious, and devoted townspeople sur- 
rounded the spot to be henceforth cherished as 
the burial-place of Rev. Mother Xavier Warde. 
The Sisters' burial-ground in St. Joseph's Ceme- 
tery is kept sacred from the public eye by an 
enclosure of full-grown evergreens, planted by 
the direction of Reverend Mother. The en- 
trance from the east — cut through the trees — 
is picturesque and beautiful. Her grave is in 
the centre, circled about by a concrete walk. A 
marble shaft is erected in the form of a cross, 
bearing the inscription : — 

" Rev. Mother Mary Francis Xavier Warde, Found- 
ress of the Order of Mercy in the United States, De- 
cember 21, 1843, an d °f Mount St. Mary's Convent, 
Manchester, N. H., July 16, 1858. Died September 
17, 1884, in the 74th year of her age and the 53d of 
her Religious Profession." 

" Grant to her, O Lord, Eternal Rest." 

A few feet, to the northwest, are the graves 
of the religious who have gone beyond to 
the " Better land," from this diocese. These 
graves are marked by plain white marble crosses. 
To the southwest of Rev. Mother Xavier's 
grave is that of Ethel Xavier Stone, the little 
daughter of the eminent convert, James Kent 



284 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

Stone, now the Rev. Father Fidelis of the Pas- 
sionist Order. Before becoming a religious, he 
brought his three little girls to Mount St. 
Mary's Academy, and confided them to Rever- 
end Mother's special care. 

The three children were baptized in Mount 
St. Mary's Chapel, and, in compliment to Rev- 
erend Mother, her father gave Ethel Xavier 
for a middle name. This angel-child lived only 
a short time after her baptism. Her pure soul 
was never stained with sin, but guileless and 
lovely in her baptismal innocence she went to 
join the choirs of the blessed. 

Reverend Mother had her buried in the Sis- 
ters' cemetery, and erected over her grave a 
white marble cross, inscribed " Ethel Xavier.' 9 

A local paper, in describing the spot where 
the remains of our venerated Mother are laid, 
says : — 

" If the scene from the eastern side is beautiful, 
sublimely so is the vista from the western gate. With 
so many living figures telling of life's great object all 
around ; the song birds singing sweet requiems in the 
trees, and the Merrimac making a peaceful curve away 
off to the east, one can well imagine that in such a 
place, Thomas k Kempis might have written in his 
Following of Christ, ' Vanity of vanities, and all is 
vanity but to love and serve God.' " 



Failing Health and Death 285 

The Divine Master for whom her life was 
spent in a world of cares and sorrows had regard 
for her soul's deep love for the beautiful, in 
ordaining her body to be laid to rest in a spot 
sublimely impressive in the solemn aspect of 
its beauty. 

Among Mother Warde's traits of character, 
piety and charity were the most prominent. Her 
great respect for clergymen was a marked char- 
acteristic, and she frequently impressed her 
religious with the reverence to be entertained 
for " God's Anointed." Repeatedly would she 
emphasize : " We are not worthy to touch even 
the hem of their garments." " Oh, the holy 
reverence that should be implanted in the hearts 
of our pupils for the sacred character of God's 
ministers ! " 

Another noticeable trait in our revered Mother 
was her ingenuity in putting a bright side on the 
most trying circumstances. She always lived, 
according to her own version, in the most de- 
lightful city, ruled the best community, dealt 
with the most agreeable persons, enjoyed the 
kindest and most spiritual Superiors and pastors. 
Father McDonald, in his usual droll fashion, 
used to remark, " All Reverend Mother's geese 
are swans" 



286 Rev. Mother M. Xavier Warde 

Her faith and confidence in God were as child- 
like and implicit during all her years as in the 
days of her Novitiate. Even the tone of her 
voice in the recitation of the office and prayers 
touched all hearts around her. 

Her generosity to the poor no doubt called 
down upon her community many substantial 
blessings. The senior Sisters tell of her first 
days in Manchester, when the convent was very 
poor. On one occasion, a person in distress came 
to her for an alms, when only a few dollars 
remained in the community treasury. She lis- 
tened to the sad story of want, which she knew 
to be true, and withdrew. Returning in a few 
moments with all that she had, she placed it in 
the hands of the person asking for aid. Before 
evening of that day, a donation of quite a sum 
of money was left at the convent, and the Sis- 
ters were never again in such straitened circum- 
stances. Humility and contrition seemed to be 
the prevailing sentiments of her old age. Fre- 
quently did she dwell on the inscrutable judg- 
ments of God, and the awful responsibility of 
occupying the chair of Superior in " God's 
House." 

After her pious death, through the exertions 



Failing Health and Death 287 

of a devoted religious who knew and appreciated 
her wishes and sentiments, a Memorial Library 
was established in Mount St. Mary's Academy, 
as a fitting monument to the memory of the 
noble woman who founded this widely known 
school, and presided over it during the first 
twenty-five years of its existence. 

The following paragraph, taken from a ser- 
mon preached by His Lordship, the Rt. Rev. 
Bishop Bradley, on the occasion of the fiftieth 
anniversary of the foundation of the Order 
in the United States, seems a suitable closing 
to our humble sketch of the life and labors of 
the foundress of the Sisters of Mercy in this 
country : — 

" Fifty years ago they numbered seven. To-day they 
number thousands, and are established in fifty-eight 
dioceses in the United States. We were favored in 
having as foundress one who drank in the spirit of the 
Order at its very source, one who governed this com- 
munity for twenty-five years, the revered Mother Warde. 
She now rests amongst the hiils of New Hampshire, in 
this land which was very dear to her. ' Rests/ did we 
say? We think she rests not, but is as near to each of 
her living children as to the dead by her side, remind- 
ing them of the blessedness of their high vocation, and 
of that reward exceeding great which awaits them in 
Heaven." 



DEC 12 1902 



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